My father is a retired union sprinkler fitter

[rustydog]

The company he worked for sold to another corp after he retired years ago and it is now non-union...profits have to go somewhere you know.

America needs strong unions.

If you work 5 days a week, thank unions, if you have employee benefits (holiday pay, overtime pay, sick leave)thank our nation's unions.
The family medical leave act was not brought about by the kindness of the Koch brothers, Cantor and Boehner...
labor safety laws, the end of children working and dying in coal mines (unless GOP and Newtered Gingrich have their way) are long gone. It can return if the GOP continues its success in union-busting moves across the country.
A right-to-work state is a state where the OWNER has the right to hire you to work as cheaply as he/she pleases without the fear of unions bothering them. We NEED unions, today just like we needed them in my father's time.

Thank you America's union members. you help make this country great!

[Omaha Steve]

1. K&R!

[Drahthaardogs]

2. I am saddened on Labor Day on DU

to see so few threads celebrating LABOR! We need to have Labor Democrats again! This country and the middle class will fade away with them.

[brewens]

3. We're "Right To Work For Less" in Idaho. The one thing that pisses me off is at our local mill,

they pay scab labor the same as the union guys. I guess it makes since for the company. They can't get rid of the union yet and if they pay scabs less, they'd join the union. Paying them the same denys the union members and dues. Good for eventually breaking them in the long haul.

I imagine that's the case at a lot of plants in RTW states, probably will be in new RTW states as well. My brother in law that works at our mill says it's strictly enforced that no one harasses the scabs. Anyone does or says anything to them is fired. I'd love to see them get the list of those guys out somehow at least. I know who a few of them are but not many. Not that I would do anything to them but it would be nice to know if they ever needed my help.

[Canuckistanian]

4. My father was in the UBC (Carpenters) union for most of his life

And I've been a proud member of two unions myself.

They fought for US, so that we could make a decent living.

I salute all union workers and and activists!