State of the Union

I believe the time for big unions has come to an end. I spent many years working in a city where the unions held more power than most of the elected officials so I have seen not only the good but bad side of the whole union machinery. As with all things, there are exceptions to the rule, but I disagree that a group of people can hold sway over others to the degree of the unions.

I witnessed the shortsightedness and inconsiderateness of the union mentality during an exposition in Chicago. A vendor tripped the fuse for his booth and needed the electrician to check the wiring and reset the fuse. When the electrician arrived, he notice a small piece of the booth had been erected across the corner of the fusebox. It was only a small 1x2 board that barely covered the corner. But since it was wood attached with a screw, someone from the carpenters union needed to remove it. If the electrician did the work and someone caught him doing it, he might be banned from that convention center. The vendor had to wait for nearly 4 hours for a carpenter who spent less that 2 minutes readjusting the board so the panel was accessible. How could you put a price on the lost sales due to the union rules?

I don't understand how the auto unions can be so rigid in the face of the worst economical crisis we as a country are facing. The various unions associated with the airlines all agreed to concessions to keep the airlines flying and out of bankruptcy. The various perks the auto union workers enjoy should be revoked and the cost savings funneled directly back to the buyer. Salaries should be on par with the local economy based on seniority and median salary for the area. Just because the union can stand their ground and force the auto companies to benk over backwards does not gice them right to do so.

If I have the option of buying non-union products, I will do so in the same manner as free trade product.