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House Bill 1072 is a naked power grab by that most un-American of all American institutions, the AFL-CIO. The “labor movement,” which has nothing to do with the actual performance of labor and everything to do with how much can be gouged from employers by the legalized extortion process known euphemistically as “collective bargaining,” is a wholly owned subsidiary of a Democratic Party that continues staggering and lurching to the far left.
Clearly, the unions are only too happy to help in efforts to bring collectivism and socialism to our republic. The deck has been unfairly stacked for the unions since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935; it’s characteristic of them to want another unfair advantage by negating the Labor Peace Act in Colorado.
With only 11 percent of the nongovernment work force unionized (down from almost 50 percent at the end of World War II), it’s obvious that the average American worker has gotten wise to what unions are really all about. And the unions must do something to boost membership.
As Whittaker Chambers noted presciently, “The left can triumph in America only through duplicity and subterfuge.” And both are the stock-in-trade of America’s labor unions and the commissars and gauleiters who run them.

Frank Howe, Denver

READER COMMENTS

Does the company WAL-MART come to mind in this bill? It should becasue the unions have tried and failed to get in and unionize the workers there. The liberals and the unions have it in for WAL-MART and now they can use the back door to ruin a great company. Maybe WAL-MART should just go out of business and the lib's and the unions can put all of the workers there to work at high paying union jobs tomorrow.

Spoken like true Neo-Conservatives of the Rightwingnut Society, gentlemen. Labor unions are whats wrong with American today, spreading their socialistic ideologies with definite communist overtones. Never mind what unions have done in the past, like fighting for a safe workplace for employees, a fair wage for a days work, beneifits for employees like health care, survivor benefits for families among others. If it was up to the "fair-minded" management types like you, the average worker of today would be working 7or 8 days a week, 12 hours a day for the barest of minimum wages with no hope of bettering themselves or their families. Afterall, its about the bottomline, right?

Donn S. was obviously educated in union-owned public schools... such a weak straw-man argument.

Unions had their use, 100 years ago, but they morphed from employee-protecting collaboration to employer-stealing thuggery.

Question: why is most of the industrial & military-grade steel used in the U.S. manufactured in other countries? Because American Labor demands on the steel industry results in inferior products - just like our cars too!

Don S makes a great point, but fails to see what labor unions are now. They have lived a full life and have helped force business and government to "standardize". But we no longer need them. Labor unions today do one thing, protect the weakest link. They hinder job growth. One need look no further than the Ford Motor Company. Quarterly losses of 4 BILLION dollars and lay-offs of tens of thousands. Labor Unions have paid their dues, now it is time to put them to rest.

I suggest that the logically perfect employer/employee relationship model for Mr. Howe is a system used successfully for thousands of years--slavery. If employers were not compelled to pay wages to those who accomplish the tasks needed to make their business enterprises successful, all of the income generated by that enterprise would flow entirely to them; as is their divine right. The substandard creatures who perform the actual work have no right to expect anything in exchange for their labor. The workers, genetically unfit animals that they are, should have no expectation of health, happiness, or freedom that superior beings such as Mr. Howe naturally deserve.

I agree Robin. Mr. Howe proves why unions are needed now more than ever - people like him. Remember checks and balances Mr. Howe? I sure can't tell. You sound like a like a dictator from the 1800's.

1) Don, this legislation would have no impact on the effort to unionize Wal-Mart. It would make it more likely that workers who have chosen union representation will not be able to benefit from that representation while refusing to pay for it. It appears that Don and his kind are beating the drumb for "Representation Without Taxation."
2) Ted and Dan, as union membership declines, the gap between rich and poor continues to grow as do the ranks of the working uninsured. Unions built the middle class in this country and remain are the only groups in Washington that lobby solely on behalf of middle-class working Americans.
3) Dan, have you considered the possibility that Ford's financial woes could be attributed to poor management decisions? See UPS for an example of a profitable, well-managed company with a unionized workforce. Well-managed corporations can pay their employees well and realize a profit for their shareholders at the same time.

Everyone benefits from a strong middle class. Don may wish to consider if the $5.32 he saves on his grocery bill at Wal-Mart every week is worth it when his neighbor, a UFCW grocery store worker, loses his job, defaults on his mortgage, and relies on Medicaid to insure his children.

Unions exist for two groups: the union leadership and the bottom rung employees. The collective mentality of the union stifles individualism, ambition, and reward for superior performance. No one in his right mind would want to bargain collectively, unless he has no confidence in his own abilities setting him apart from the rest. The days of union usefulness are long gone.

Hey Frank your union label is showing. Are you the UFCW working who lost his job and becasue of poor planning on your part are now homeless? Why did your union not protect you from loosing you job? BTW Frank I shop at one of the union grocery stores. If you lose a job that was union you also have a chance to go out and start a business and create jobs for other out of work union workers and you could pay them union wages and benefits so they would not be on Medicaid to insure their children. Good luck in your new business venture Frank.

I find it interesting that pro-union commentaries here fail to mention how this bill will allow unions to extort dues from non-participating members. If you want to be a union member, by all means join up, but allow your co-workers to make their own choices without the threat of unemployment for not participating.

Richard nailed it! Thanks Richard!
As for my own experience with unions; They drive prices through the roof. They protect incompetent workers from accountability. Then they use your dues money to support political ideologies that are a polar opposite to what I believe in. Liberty and freedom provide solutions, not yet another self-imposed level of restrictions.

Hey Richard

You non-participating types benefit from the hard won priviliges of us union workers, whether you realize it or not (bet you like your weekends off)

Big corporations and the fat cats who run them get lots of protection from the government. They hold all the power. The only power workers have is through collective bargaining. When an individual worker stands alone he has no power.

I don't see GM management being held accountable for their incompetence in continuing to produce outdated gas-guzzling
SUVs while gas prices have increased. They simply trash pensions and pull the rip-cord on their golden parachutes.

But I'm sure they're sharing the wealth with you union bashing little guys, you're one of their own right ? They'll recognize your
superior intellect and individual acheivement and invite you over to the Ford Mansion this weekend, now that you're unencumbered by union rules, and free to really shine.

After reading this forum, I'm happy to see that such excellent teachers as W.L. Herrick and Jay Bennish will have so many voices speaking out to defend them.

My husband has been a Union Carpenter for over 25 years out east and now here.He has never been without work.He has a reputation among the Union Construction Companies.It was that way out east and living here for 11 years he has built a good reputation here.
The union though not perfect has afforded him an excellent wage and benefits to raise a family.Though we started our family late so I could stay at home to raise them ,we can afford to live on one paycheck.
He works hard,never misses a day of work,is never late and gives his Company 8hours work for 8 hours pay.

The only thing I hate about the union is his dues going to political candidates or causes.I certainly do not agree with the Democratic agenda and the union is die hard Democrats.My husband does not vote and could care less about an election.
I do care about voting and issues.

I am totally against this union bill. It is un-american and forces people to pay union dues whether they want to or not.This bill is a bully bill. It bullies people into something they don't want to do.I thought the unions stood for choice.I thought the union stood for freedom and getting a living wage and benefits for families.

My husband chose to join a union.My husband chose to be a carpenter. My husband chose to pay union dues.My husband chose to be a lifelong union carpenter.

I urge our legislature and Governor not to sign this bill.A worker should always have the CHOICE to be union or not,pay union dues or not.

Unions are not bad ,this is a bad bill.

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