30 votes

How Joe Biden's National Labor Relations Board has boosted bottom-up unionism in the US (and why this matters)

15 comments

  1. [15]
    jredd23
    Link
    It's odd that at face value Democrats have had a positive improvement on Unions and yet the Union leadership doesn't want to endorse the party for this year's Presidential election. My knowledge...

    It's odd that at face value Democrats have had a positive improvement on Unions and yet the Union leadership doesn't want to endorse the party for this year's Presidential election. My knowledge of Politics is not good enough to comment on it, others have already said it better than I would be able to do. However, as a passive observer I find the dichotomy of it frustrating. Just another social, economical etc., issue I have to make peace with.

    14 votes
    1. [10]
      conception
      Link Parent
      In the 90s the dems took blue collar for granted. So they left. The right have changed politics from policy to football teams so it will be difficult to get them back.

      In the 90s the dems took blue collar for granted. So they left. The right have changed politics from policy to football teams so it will be difficult to get them back.

      11 votes
      1. [9]
        blivet
        Link Parent
        How did they do that?

        In the 90s the dems took blue collar for granted.

        How did they do that?

        1 vote
        1. [6]
          boxer_dogs_dance
          Link Parent
          NAFTA was part of it. Getting behind the offshoring and nearshoring trend for manufacturing

          NAFTA was part of it. Getting behind the offshoring and nearshoring trend for manufacturing

          8 votes
          1. [5]
            blivet
            Link Parent
            And the Republicans opposed those things?

            And the Republicans opposed those things?

            2 votes
            1. [4]
              PelagiusSeptim
              Link Parent
              The claim was that in the 90s, the dems took blue collar for granted. Not that the Republicans were good for blue collar workers at that time.

              The claim was that in the 90s, the dems took blue collar for granted. Not that the Republicans were good for blue collar workers at that time.

              15 votes
              1. [3]
                blivet
                Link Parent
                I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask why blue collar voters chose the Republicans over the Democrats. “Being taken for granted” by the Democrats isn’t much of an explanation when the...

                I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask why blue collar voters chose the Republicans over the Democrats. “Being taken for granted” by the Democrats isn’t much of an explanation when the Republicans offered nothing that would benefit working people.

                5 votes
                1. [2]
                  Weldawadyathink
                  Link Parent
                  That’s a false dichotomy. It’s perfectly possible to feel alienated by the democrats and unrepresented by the republicans. The two parties aren’t the opposite of each other. They are just the only...

                  That’s a false dichotomy. It’s perfectly possible to feel alienated by the democrats and unrepresented by the republicans. The two parties aren’t the opposite of each other. They are just the only two parties we have (practically speaking) so they sometimes appear as opposites.

                  6 votes
                  1. blivet
                    Link Parent
                    Sure, but we are discussing people who switched their party affiliation, not people who abandoned politics altogether, so presumably there was something about the Republican Party which appealed...

                    Sure, but we are discussing people who switched their party affiliation, not people who abandoned politics altogether, so presumably there was something about the Republican Party which appealed to them.

    2. [4]
      Tmbreen
      Link Parent
      I need to read the original linked article, but I do think the Dems are playing a back and forth game with labor. They keep citing that Biden was the first president to walk a picket line, but...

      I need to read the original linked article, but I do think the Dems are playing a back and forth game with labor. They keep citing that Biden was the first president to walk a picket line, but ignored that he completely scabed and threatened to call in the National Guard for the striking train workers - which I believe lead to the East Palestine incident.

      The Dems say they are in support of unions because they want union organizing and union votes, but they also want to silence unions advocating for ending support of Israel. And I believe, and I think the unions believe, that they will get dropped in support of billionaires or company CEOs if it comes down to it.

      8 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        The flip of that is that they got the sick days they wanted, and the IBEW credits Bidens work for that. https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid Also found this...

        The flip of that is that they got the sick days they wanted, and the IBEW credits Bidens work for that.
        https://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid

        Also found this federal rule mandating the two person minimum
        https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/rail-unions-hail-bidens-two-person-crew-mandate/

        Edit to be clear: They didn't get all they wanted and it wasn't a solid win on Bidens part for labor, but my partner has friends who work for the railroad (idk which one myself) and they were pretty pleased

        12 votes
      2. [2]
        boxer_dogs_dance
        Link Parent
        I don't agree with Biden here but some people believe that the cost of allowing a strike to significant infrastructure like freight rail would cripple the economy to no purpose. When it comes to...

        I don't agree with Biden here but some people believe that the cost of allowing a strike to significant infrastructure like freight rail would cripple the economy to no purpose. When it comes to unions vs most companies, Biden has been on labor side.

        6 votes
        1. Sodliddesu
          Link Parent
          If workers are that integral to 'the economy' then they should be fairly compensated as such. Skilled or unskilled, if you're that essential then you should be paid well enough that you never feel...

          allowing a strike to significant infrastructure like freight rail would cripple the economy to no purpose.

          If workers are that integral to 'the economy' then they should be fairly compensated as such. Skilled or unskilled, if you're that essential then you should be paid well enough that you never feel the need to strike.

          8 votes