Texas Longhorns with newborn calf in Bluebonnets

Texas Longhorns with newborn calf in Bluebonnets

Please note I have a new phone number...

512-517-2708

Alan Maki

Alan Maki
Doing research at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas

It's time to claim our Peace Dividend

It's time to claim our Peace Dividend

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

A program for real change...

http://peaceandsocialjustice.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-progressive-program-for-real-change.html


What we need is a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity" which would make it a mandatory requirement that the president and Congress attain and maintain full employment.


"Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens"

- Ben Franklin

Let's talk...

Let's talk...

Monday, March 30, 2015

Why do so many unions refuse to place their contracts on their web sites?

It would be very easy for unions to place their contracts on their web sites.

These contracts placed on union web sites should encourage the unorganized workers to join unions; right?

But, in spite of union officials giving lip service to how their unions are "rank-and-file" unions, union members have little say in what they want from their own union contracts.

In addition, most union "leaders" are ashamed making their contracts public because instead of winning improved wages and working conditions and benefits, each succeeding contract is worse than the previous one... the reason being union "leaders," especially those of the millionaire variety, want union members who are paying the dues as little involved as possible in the decision-making process of the union.

These millionaire labor "leaders" are often as undemocratic as the bosses.

Many union members can't even find out when their union meetings are.

Many union members who pay dues have no say in their own union. The only link many of the members have with their union is seeing how much is taken out of their paychecks for union dues; they don't know when union elections are and if they do find out when the elections are they don't find out in time to run for office themselves to be in compliance with union constitutions and by-laws.

Even many large local unions with a thousand members or more have fewer that what is required for a quorum show up for union meetings even if they raffle off a color television with all in attendance being eligible to have their names in the raffle.

Try to find a union official when you want to file a grievance; good luck.

In fact, few unions in this country today even have union stewards in each department.

Look on many union bulletin boards or web sites and you don't find the most basic information needed in order to participate fully in your own union but you will find all kinds of campaign materials for Democrats and big pictures of union leaders supporting these worthless Democrats.

It is no wonder union membership has hit an all time low with fewer and fewer workers joining unions.

Unions are much like anything else. When workers are happy with their unions they tell everyone. When workers have problems within their unions they also tell everyone.

Perhaps there is some truth that having any union is better than having no union but isn't this the same logic we get for voting for Democrats? That Democrats are better than Republicans even though more often than not they are equally as rotten.

Do we really have to be satisfied with what the sparrows leave behind when it comes to politics, economics and what is being passed off as "democracy" in our unions?