Amy Traub points out how the economic situation only continues the vicious circle for the American worker:
Unless you're a high flying investment bank, this is a hard time to be in business. Credit is tight. Customers are cutting back. The one place you might be able to wring out a little extra profit is on labor costs. And sure enough, around the country, companies are cutting wages, reducing benefits, and relying on fewer employees to pick up the workload of their laid off co-workers.
The result? Even harder times for working people. With 9.8 percent unemployment, you'll take the pay cut and like it. You'll fork over more for the new high deductible health plan that saves the boss a bundle. You won't speak up when the employer contributions to your 401(k) come to an abrupt halt. What's more, you'll be willing to work harder. As the head of a web design firm told the Wall Street Journal this week, he's noticing more cars already in the parking lot when he arrives at work each morning. "After the cuts were made," he noted "the people that are still here...are motivated that much more. They know they can't just put their résumé out there, because this is happening across the industry."
Productivity is soaring as fewer workers get more work done. But it doesn't look like working people are seeing any of the benefits. And that's bad news for the economy as a whole. Consumers aren't likely to resume spending when wages are down, especially without the ability they once had to borrow against high home values. It's a recipe for a vicious economic cycle.
http://www.dmiblog.com/archive...
As if employers and corporations in this country did not have it good enough when times where good, in these economic times as they try to cut costs their workers are the first ones that pay the price in more lost wages and benefits. To make matters worse now with the terrible job market, workers are forced to deal with unfair treatment for fear of losing their jobs.
Even more terrifying for them is the prospect of their employer finding out that they are trying to organize their fellow co-workers to negotiate for fair wages and benefits. Yes, in this economy the protections of the Employee Free Choice Act are more essential than ever.
Here are some important reasons why American workers need the Employee Free Choice Act:
Giving working people the freedom to form unions and bargain collectively is key to turning around the economy and rebuilding America's middle class. Union members are 52 percent more likely to have job-provided health care, nearly three times more likely to have guaranteed pensions and earn 28 percent more than nonunion workers. No matter what else we do to turn around America's economy and rebuild the middle class, we will not have broadly shared prosperity until we restore workers' free choice to bargain with their companies for a better life-without corporate intimidation. The Employee Free Choice Act will do that.
Too few workers are able to form unions and bargain because companies routinely block their efforts-and our current legal system is too broken and dominated by corporations to help them. A worker in an organizing campaign has a one in five chance of being fired for union activity.
The Employee Free Choice Act has widespread support, including bipartisan backing in Congress and President Obama's pledge to sign it into law. Nearly three-quarters of the public-73 percent-support the Employee Free Choice Act. Hundreds of respected religious, academic and business people and organizations have signed on in support.
http://www.aflcio.org/joinauni...
So, as the healthcare fight near to a conclusion we should remember what our next fight should be. American workers have been fleeced for decades and we can never expect to have a thriving economy that works for all until Americans once again decide that having a middle-class that is growing and thriving in this country is just as important as CEOs recieving huge bonuses and jetting across the world to party on the taxpayer dime.
We need fairness in wages and benefits in a bad job market worse than ever. |
