Card Check, Union, and Government: Should Workers Really Want More Money?

March 15th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

The title would suggest that I have lost my mind and maybe I have. Everybody wants to make more money, the question is, “Is the union the best way to accomplish this?”

Congress is currently considering re-instating Card Check. To become unionized, 50% of workers have to sign a card saying they want to start a union, and they get a union. Under the current process, the business gets to make it’s case to the workers and the vote is held in secret.

Card Check passing through Congress currently, has another little loop hole tucked in. If the business and the workers can’t come to a resolution, a Washington bureaucrat, with no knowledge of the company in question, will be able to set salary for workers.

Supporters of Card Check say, “How can it be a bad thing to build up the middle class?” If workers make more money, they have more money to spend. They spend more money, our economy booms. Couple that with government healthcare and new green technology, and our country will be set to go into the next century.

Now, I’m self-educated but pretty sharp, so let’s work through this.

First thought, a business’s main purpose is to make money. I know in the current environment, it’s to fail and get a government bail-out, but majority of business’s start with the goal of being successful.

Let’s create a company to play with. How about Liberals Steal Futures Inc. or LSF Inc.

So, LSF Inc. is a national company that produces food products, cleaning products, and the major components of wind power turbines. Great company to be invested in. They are diversified in their holdings, so no one glitch in the market would affect them that much.

50% of their people sign cards requesting the company become unionized.

The C.E.O., unaware a union sign-up was even in progress, was in the final stages of opening his new green construction company. He had poured a majority of LSF Inc.’s recent profits into expanding the company. The expansion would create thousands of new jobs and change the face of the construction business.

Card Check is passed and a union is started before the C.E.O. can even announce the expansion. What should be a wonderful time for the company becomes a fight with the union. Higher wages, more sick days, and health care for part time employees.

LSF Inc. drops in the stock market and a lot of investors lose money. Instead of announcing adding new jobs, they announce they are cutting jobs.

In the current climate, the average American not affected directly by the falling stock price or loss of jobs, doesn’t care about the strain put on the business. They got the money, they should pay their employee’s more.

But here comes the dirty little secret. The C.E.O. is not stupid. He knows that he still needs to turn a profit, so what does he do? He raises the price on your bread, eggs, and milk. The price rises 20% on your dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, and body soap. The wind power they want us to depend on, now goes even higher in price because LSF Inc. is the only company that makes the turbines.

It’s fine if they want to raise the price, I’ll just buy another brand. Just try. All the other American brands went up because they too have become unionized. All that’s left is foreign products three times cheaper than those made in America because they don’t have to deal with such issues.

“You left one important part out of the equation, if the government is paying for health care, the prices won’t be that high for businesses.”

Correct. But where does the government get it’s money? From you. So they will give you a pay raise, put you in a higher tax bracket and charge you more in taxes.

What did you really gain? You pay more in taxes, it cost you more to provide for your family, and jobs are disappearing because foreign companies can provide cheaper products.

I’ll even go one step further for you. What would happen if wind was no longer a worthy source of power? The workers get mad because of lay-offs or benefit cuts and they strike. The Union and LSF Inc. can’t come to a conclusion so they have to meet with a government mediator.

The government mediator decides since government no longer believes wind power is viable, they think the people’s wages working in that division should shrink substantially. So a year ago you were making $20 an hour and now the government thinks your job is worth $11 an hour.

And there is nothing you or the Union can do, because the government has the final say.

This weekend, I watched bits and pieces of Norma Rae, Sally Fields portrayal of a textile worker inspired to start a union at her company. Very moving story but New Jack City was on another channel. As I flipped back and forth between movies, I got an interesting idea. Be on the Look Out for a very funny story.