Welcome to the Kingdom of Nye

Chronicles of My Reality by Elridge Jones

2006-08-13

I am Proud of My Union

Sometimes, there is a time in your life when you need to make a statement about the values that are important enough to you that you let others know. This is one of those times for me and it is about something I feel strongly enough about I decided to post it here in my blog.

The economic tide here in the US where I live is increasingly being made in favor of the corporations and those who are more "fortunate" in American society. Politicians and law makers are being bought and coddled by these people as well as the media who is supposed to protect the interests of everyday citizens and working people. Right now, there is an onslaught and a major push by the corporations and the upper classes of American society to eradicate the working middle-class of American society.

They are not doing this without some opposition. Many groups and organizations are fighting the denigration and elimination of the American middle class including political groups, citizens' rights organizations and the bread and butter working people's organizations better known as unions.

A lot of people have been given a dim view of unions and they often misrepresented as criminal organizations or worse by the corporations and by individuals who would love to see them go out of existence. The fact of the matter is, unions are the very reason the working men and women of American society have a lot of the rights they have today.

As a local union officer (Steelworkers Local 462), I have seen first hand what the tyranny of a system w/o checks and balances to protect workers could become. Decent wages, opportunity to compete for jobs w/o being given disparate treatment based on the color of your skin, your sex or simply who you are, are all benefits of the free society in America today that labor unions helped to create.

What must we do to protect these rights? We must hold our politicians and those who are responsible for creating and upholding our laws responsible for protecting the common worker. Unfair trade laws and policies during recent years coupled with other laws (health insurance, pensions, worker injuries), have begun the process of eroding this system  and we must all work to stop it. Check out the voting records of the people you vote for at the polls and make sure they are passing and voting for the right laws to protect you and your family. Let the politicians who continue to listen to those who want to tear apart the fabric of American society know that you will no longer tolerate their poor judgment and behavior. If enough of us speak out, we can protect those freedoms that our predecessors paid so dearly for.

Be proud of your union. I am.

E, king of nye


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