To be frank, I think there is a discrepancy between what people say and what they believe. Americans are deeply imbued with an ideology of individualism and unionism, as a form of collective action, runs counter to that ideology. No, I do not think they fear their bosses. After all, there are laws which protect the right of workers to organize and prevent reprisals from management. It is simply that most Americans believe that they can do better by individually negotiating with their employer instead of collectively negotiating. I have seen this psychology at work at my university which just barely voted in a faculty union three years ago and just barely voted it out a year ago. First thing the administration did after the defeat of the union was cut benefits but not one idiot faculty member, as far as I can tell, saw the connection.
CHAD From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Seth Sandronsky Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:33 PM To: Pen-l Subject: [Pen-l] Intimidation Nation: How US Employers Fight Unions <http://www.truthout.org/052609L> http://www.truthout.org/052609L Seth Sandronsky, Truthout: "Opinion polls say that the majority of US workers want to be in a labor union, according to Kate Bronfenbrenner, a professor and director of Labor Education Research, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. So why are just 12.4 percent of American workers union members? In brief, they fear what their bosses will do to them."
_______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
