(Dis)organized Labor

In the early part of the last century, work was hard. Really hard. I remember in the 1930s there was no such thing as a 40-hour week. My father worked many long, hard days, quitting each day when the work was done, not when someone blew a whistle. My father was grateful to have a steady job and worked without complaining. But others felt abused. They reasoned that if organized as a like-minded group, they could achieve bargaining power to obtain "rights" for workers.

Organize they did, with sympathy evoking claims of seeking fairness for workers. They called themselves "organized labor" and the nation fell in love with Labor Unions. Oh, how we championed these fighters for fairness. But in the blink of an eye some discovered that if every worker paid monthly dues it would pile up a heap of money... a big temptation for crooks and con men.

Because many union members were lightly educated, they became an easy target for the con artists who quickly took over powerful, high paying union leadership positions. To maintain those positions, they knew they had to keep getting more and more benefits for their members. They soon exceeded reasonable demands.

With their huge bargaining power and help from politicians who sought to mine union memberships for votes, they destroyed many American industries. But they always pressed for more, using increasingly ugly tactics.

Now, however, many Americans - including many union members - have come to understand the destructive nature of Organized Labor. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker decided to rein in his state's public employees unions and found that a majority of citizens backed him. More and more states are enacting right-to-work laws ending, statewide, compulsory union membership.

Labor unions outlived their usefulness decades ago. It has taken some time, but it now appears that Organized Labor as we have known it is dead. A vital step in restoring America's greatness.