On Wednesday 13 July 2005 07:52 pm, Todd Walton wrote: > > It is to most companies' benefit to have a stable and happy workforce.
Not necessarily. When workers are plentiful and jobs are not then the stability and happiness of the workforce is not much of a consideration. > A lot of people would agree with this, But those people do not run companies and make hire/fire decisions. > but not all of them would make > the next logical step and say that therefore a company is going to > work to create and maintain that stable and happy workforce. And for > those companies that don't need satisfied workers, why should they be > forced to give those workers what they want? What right does any > worker have to force an employer to do as he (the worker) pleases? > The employer doesn't have the right to force the employee to do as > they please. It is not "rights" that are involved. It is power. An individual worker has very little power to negotiate with a large corporation. If you do not believe this go try to do it. > If I'm willing to work for an employer without benefit of union wages, > union muscle, or union oversight, and if the employer is willing to > hire me on those terms, what right do union-oriented employers have to > deny me that job? It's a matter of my rights and the rights of the > employer. Again, "rights" are not at issue. What is at issue is power. The union has the power (with political help) to force the its will upon the corporation in certain situations, and vice versa. Both can force their view of reality on the "free" employee who is, of course, "free" to leave. You as an individual are largely powerless. About all you can do is dodge. > If employees are being treated unfairly, they have more power than > ever to jump ship and go somewhere else. Jumping ship is the norm in > the 21st century, even when conditions are favorable. The bullying > that unions do is increasingly anachronistic, and we shouldn't keep > them around simply as a show of gratitude for the great things they've > done in the past. To the extent that their bullying is legally > protected, we should *never* have had it around. Well then, "jump ship". In the 21st century many intellectual (or white collar) workers will adapt this strategy. They do need to understand though that intellectual work is highly portable and may well migrate to parts of the world that have far lower costs of living (programmers in India). Brains are far more widely distributed than opportunity, but modern communications (Internet), transportation (jets) and trade (container ships) is changing all that. As the world flattens out get ready to compete with a bunch of very bright and very hungry people. You may not be as bright as you think you are. I can assure you that among the 1.08 Billion people in India and the 1.3 Billion in China there are a couple of smart cookies. I have always lived on pirate ships or really little ships far too small to attract the attention of unions. Welcome to the gypsy world, but be aware that you will have to work far harder for generally less pay and with a lot less security than even the "wage slaves" who work in unionized companies. One big advantage though is you will be free if you can handle it. Remember though Dylan's line, "Freedom ain't worth nothing, but it's free." Buena suerte, todd, I wish you well, honestly. I do find you a trifle naive though. boblq -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
