Look For The Union Label

Filed in National by on April 19, 2009

Ha! Merchant seaman are Americans and union members.

h/t Colorado’s Square State

Tags:

About the Author ()

A Dad, a husband and a data guru

Comments (17)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. jason330 says:
    April 19, 2009 at 7:55 am

    Booh-ya!

    Come to think of it. That crew of the US Airways Airbus A320 that landed in the Hudson were probably union members.

    Take that wngnuts!

  2. Unstable Isotope says:
    April 19, 2009 at 9:06 am

    Jason,

    The crew of that plane were union members. I think Sully even testified before Congress about union membership and its importance.

  3. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    Jason3330: Are you a member of a union? Are you a business owner? What type of business? Is your business organized?

  4. cassandra_m says:
    April 19, 2009 at 1:18 pm

    Anon, do you have something to say are are you just here to apply your tired litmus test?

  5. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 6:17 pm

    Cassandra m: How are those questions “litmus tests”? Im genuinely interested in the depth of our party’s union support. i.e. Do Dems just pay lip service to our party’s answer to the Republicans’ Christain Coalition? Or do all Dems actually support union membership in all forms at all levels even when it would be personally/professionally detrimental to that supporter. Which is why I ask that question to people who characterize those (such as myself) who dare challenge Big Labor’s influence on the Democratic Party as ‘wingnuts’.

  6. cassandra_m says:
    April 19, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    I doubt that you are going to get to any idea of anyone’s depth of union support with the kind of questions you asked there. Those are pass/fail type questions, used to set up some line of rhetoric that you’ve got preprogrammed — like this bit of business:
    our party’s answer to the Republicans’ Christain Coalition

    If you’ve something to say about all of this, then say your piece.

  7. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    How could the questions I asked jason330 be considered rhoetorical? I think inquiring into someone’s union affiliation/relationship is the direct opposite of rhoetorical. I’m actually looking to get past the rhoetoric of “union support”. I want to know how deeply someone supports Big Labor when the only other alternative is to be called a wingnut for opposing Big Labor’s corporate interests.
    Concerning the Christian Coalition comment, you don’t see the similarities? Both BL and the CC donate a staggering amount of money to one political party; actually represent a miniscule population/percentage of Americans (7% for unions; probably slightly less for the CC); and advance singular agendas for the purported benefit of all Americans. Those are just off the top of my head, Im sure there are more similarities.

  8. jason330 says:
    April 19, 2009 at 8:35 pm

    Simple answers to simple questions.

    Am I a union member? No.
    Am I business owner? Yes. In part.
    Is my business organized? No.

    So what is your deal Anon? You say “our” party so I guess are a Democrat. But you also sound all cry baby about the fact that organized labor has a lot of power. So you are either a Republican or one of those latte liberals who doesn’t associate with people who have to work for a living.

    So which is it? If you are one of those latte liberals I would remind you that organized labor has pushed for many of the benefits that you enjoy in your cushy office job.

    As far as labor’s influence on the Democratic party…they earned it.

  9. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 9:08 pm

    Jason330:
    That’s a fair question given that I asked personal questions about you that you answered. I’m not a Republican, although I was one in my earlier years. I don’t know what a latte liberal means, but I’m guessing it’s an insult to indicate that I only seek to act as a liberal during social settings. I’m neither of those. I’d describe myself as a centrist Dem. Socially liberal, fiscally conservative, big fan of balance of powers. Those types do exist. And my “cushy office job” was preceded by 8 years of tool belts, hard hats and steel toed boots during high school and college. So, again, pretty centrist.
    Now that I’ve cleared up my deal. What’s yours? I must admit I was surprised by your responses. I expected you to be a union member or something else union related. You’re a non-union business owner who supports Big Labor. So why not allow orginization of your company, assuming your company is an industry that has union representation? Do it EFCA style. You could pick a union to come in and interview your employees to gauge their happiness and see whether they’d want to join a union. You two can bang out a contract in 60 days or so. After all, they’ve earned it.
    I’ll throw the quesiton back at ya. What’s your deal? Are you one of those latte liberals that supports Big Labor so long as their footprints aren’t left on your lawn?

  10. pandora says:
    April 19, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    Hmmm… do I have to be gay to support gay marriage, Anon? Or, have an abortion to be pro-choice?

  11. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 9:25 pm

    Pandora:
    Not at all, but when you have the ability to do something proactive in support of something, then why not do it?

  12. jason330 says:
    April 19, 2009 at 9:44 pm

    As someone who is only in the middle class thanks to unions, I don’t feel the need to prove my labor bona fides to an anon commenter on a blog.

    However, on the off chance that you are not lying about your motivations, email me if you want to meet to talk about this topic face to face.

    jason330 (at) delawareliberal (dot) net should work.

  13. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 9:58 pm

    I don’t remember saying I was motivated by anything other than a simple request to not be considered crazy every time I call Big Labor out. But I’d love to talk about this face to face, we have a mutual friend, I’ll have him get in touch with you.

  14. Miscreant says:
    April 19, 2009 at 10:18 pm

    “Ha! Merchant seaman are Americans and union members.”

    It’s wonderful they’re back safe, and your point is…? The heroic actions of their Captain enabled them to evade captivity. Their union status had/has no relevance.

    “I think Sully even testified before Congress about union membership and its importance.”

    Indeed, because his pay had been cut 40%, and his pension had been terminated, he took advantage of his celebrity status bring it to the attention of Congress.

    “I don’t feel the need to prove my labor bona fides…”

    Because you obviously don’t have any, or your labor would be organized.

  15. jason330 says:
    April 19, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    “…we have a mutual friend…”

    This would not be Delaware if we didn’t. His name isn’t Miscreant by any chance?

  16. Anon says:
    April 19, 2009 at 10:40 pm

    Lol. I don’t think so. The only reason I’m presuming he’s a friend of yours is because this is his blog. Do all of you guys get along?

  17. jason330 says:
    April 19, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    We are like a family except we all get along and like being around each other.

«
»