the only union im interested in is a taxpayers union. Anyone else tired of pols and their ties to unions?

So sick of hearing about unions. The unions need to go. There is no place for them anymore, just another way for some to pocket money while ripping off others.

There has been a relentless effort to eliminate the achievements of unions, including wiping out hard-won collective bargaining agreements and rolling back long-fought-for benefits. Most workers understand the value of unions, including the need to belong to one in order to have a decent life.

what schools did markey's kids go to,you know they were in MARYLAND

Kevin Kelly, the relentless effort I see is the one to eliminate corrupt unions (virtually all of them). Public-sector unions are the worst, joined at the hip w/ the pols whom the unions elect and then rely on for boosting their pay w/ sweet contracts. Let's face it, pols rarely represent Joe Taxpayer these days. The unions rule.

Philadelphia magazine had a story on the Pestronk brothers and how they fought back against union strong-arm tactics. Check out the website www.phillybully.com for videos of union thugs and more. Pathetic behavior by union members and union management alike.

And how are unions of any conceivable use to the taxpaying public? Not PLAs, that's for sure!

While unions sometimes act in a self-interested manner, they make the middle class stronger both economically and politically. Unions increase wages and benefits for members, and non-members, and have defended Social Secirity, Medicare, family leave, minimum wage and health care reform. If unions are weakened, the rich will truly "get richer." Since 1974, income earned by corporate America has quadrupled and without strong unions, the middle class will lose out to the welathy. Strengthening unions is as important to the middle class as increasing college graduation rates.

is there evidence for your claims? If union membership is so attractive, a) why is it essentially compulsory and not voluntary, and b) why has union membership declined so much over decades?

While union membership in the private sector has declined, public sector unions continue to thrive. Unions helps ensure workers are treated fairly and it allows members to have a voice in the decision-making process. Some of the countries with the highest growth rates also have the highest rates of unionization. As for the decline in union membership, large companies continue to wage a systematic campaign to eliminate unions and some overly aggressive unions hurt themselves by asking for too much. Also, women, teenagers and illegal immigrants represent a larger part of the work force and most are less interested in the long-term objectives of unions.

LJ, can we agree to disagree?

When unions brass start explaining how they can justify their hefty expense accounts and lavish lifestyles, and are able to convince the public that they are “different” than the corporate executives who enjoy the exact same lavish lifestyle that union brass admonish, then maybe I’ll open my mind. Who am I kidding, I will never support you union frauds.

Why should union jobs should be guaranteed, as well as their pensions, verses someone who isn’t part of a union and contributes to a nonguaranteed (401k) retirement package? If I don’t work hard or meet goals and deadlines, I run the risk of being fired. Union hacks don’t perform as required and get suspended or fired, they file a grievance and get their job back. There is no argument for anything guaranteed. What in life is guaranteed besides death and taxes?

How is it that unions can willing go on strike and at the same time COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT (Verizon) because of their willingness NOT TO WORK?? I work with a guy who’s father-in-law is part of that Verizon union. Frauds!!

(con't)

Why aren’t plumbers or electricians or pushcart entrepreneurs able to work without pressure to join a union, without fear of harassment, in order to earn a living for his family? Why should these hardworking entrepreneurs be FORCED to give a percentage of their hard earned paycheck to someone else? Don’t join the union, we’ll harass you. Sounds like extortion to me. I purposely refuse to hire union contractors, and I know dozens of others that believe the same.

How can union brass think they are any different than corporate lobbyists? Both use their power to influence rules, regulations and even worse, government elections. So why are corporate lobbyists worse than union brass? They aren’t. Union brass are worse cause if they don’t get their way, they’ll refuse to work, go on strike and still collect paychecks from us taxpayers. DISGUSTING!!!

All unions should be dissolved. They are a burden on employers and hardworking working Americans that are forced to “pay to play” in order to earn a living for their families.

The vast majority of unions members ARE hard-working, conscientious employees who take pride in their job performance and don't deserve to be covered in the same blanket of the small percentage who abuse the system. While this is a "hot button" issue, I am firm in my resolve that unions play a vital role in the survival of the middle class.

unicorn, you may want to google "agency fee" - not to mention "Beck v. CWA"

Joseph, +1.

Matthew, your comments form weak arguments every time you mention "corporate America." And stop putting words in the mouths of anti-unionists re rights.

Kevin Kelly, in reply to your comment about public-sector unions--

As I said above, public-sector unions are the worst, joined at the hip w/ the pols whom the unions elect and then rely on for boosting their pay w/ sweet contracts. Let's face it, pols rarely represent Joe Taxpayer these days. The unions rule.

The pols are supporting those who elect them, namely, the unions and the union members. The pols ought to be representing all taxpayers, but the inherent conflict of interest (support of unions) prevents that. All taxpayers should have it as cozy as public-sector unions do!

Everyone check out www.psrf.org

I've expressed my opinion. The dog has been "kicked" enough. Thank you Patch for giving us this format for "give-and-take."

End the bloated unions, parasites sucking off the public mammary gland. Enough is enough.

OK, Matthew, two wrongs make a right, and employers are inherently evil. Now I get it. Have a nice life!

Oh, and don't forget Joe Taxpayer's rights, and stop living in the unions' past glories. My calendar says it's now 2013.

Obviously Joseph and LJ work at jobs that s**k , where they have no say in conditions , and get used and taken advantage of on a daily basis by their big hearted management. So they get very jealous of a UNION man's benefits and working conditions, and instead of standing up for themselves and fighting for their own benefits, they want to take away their neighbors benefits instead. Corporate America's useful idiots. Maybe you 2 guys can tell us ONCE when corporate America did right by it's workers voluntarily ? One of you mentioned Verizon, where the CEO got $55,000 per DAY, yes day, but you go against the UNION because they were fighting for some healthcare ?

Velvet, I was a union member for 20 years. No jealousy here, happy to be out of the union and in a fine job. you and Matthew keep raising "corporate America" as the subject. The subject is unions. stick to defending them, if u can.

Man, it's amazing how anti-union writing strikes a raw nerve in those in the pro-union camp.

@Matthew - Follow this story. Watch who comes to her "defense."

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2013/03/early_ed_chief_a_no_show_as_gov_visits_child_center

The Commonwealth wants to tax us more, to pay the salary of this fraud, and she doesn't even show up to work. "But her contract claims that YAP YAP YAP YAP."

@Kevin Kelly & @Matthew - Follow this story. Let's sit back and watch how this plays out. Mumbles battles his biggest supporters. This should be real good.

"habit of putting drugs ... from suspects in his pocket where he also kept cookies to eat.” OR even better, "...said he thought the powder he brushed off his cruiser seat was from doughnuts, not cocaine," and that "He also said he lived in a townhouse that shared a heating vent with neighbors who were crack smokers."

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/03/menino_vows_fight_on_cops_reinstatement