Republicans are shook that new safety net measures will give workers too much power

[Professor Emeritus]

Unions are outdated
Imagine trying to negotiate automation with unionized workers
Technological advancements and the displacement of certain low skilled workers cant be stopped. Workers need to jump on the UBI wave...

I'm under the impression that some of Europe's strongest economies are still unionized across entire industries?

Of course UBI is still good too.

 

[DEAD7]

why not both

Competitive markets...
A company unable to take make changes and take advantage of technological advancements in production because of a unionized workforce will be crushed by competitors that arent.



That said, 10% or less of the private sector in this country is now unionized so
Private sector unions are dying... and good riddance.

 

[DEAD7]

I'm under the impression that some of Europe's strongest economies are still unionized across entire industries?

Of course UBI is still good too.

Apples and oranges...although i'd love to see someone on the left suggest abolishing the minimum wage and strengthening unions because its working in [insert European country]...
Its a non-starter... not sure why we continue to make comparisons with other nations when America is such a unique beast in so many ways.

A UBI is in my opinion the best way forward, the issue is neither side would likely be willing to make the necessary compromises

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Apples and oranges...although i'd love to see someone on the left suggest abolishing the minimum wage and strengthening unions because its working in [insert European country]...
Its a non-starter... not sure why we continue to make comparisons with other nations when America is such a unique beast in so many ways.

But you didn't argue against unions because America is "unique", you argued using automation which is universal.

No one on the left is going to suggest abolishing the minimum wage and strengthening unions because it WOULDN'T work here, you know full well corporate American culture is too toxic towards workers to trust with legitimate negotiation and compromise without hard limits on their behavior. For those European nations in question the minimum wage is basically irrelevant because union culture is so strong, so there's no reason for "eliminating the minimum wage" to be a necessary part of the package. It's only necessary in the USA because we have such a rich history of corporate and political power joining forces to break and bypass unions.

 

[DEAD7]

But you didn't argue against unions because America is "unique", you argued using automation which is universal.

No one on the left is going to suggest abolishing the minimum wage and strengthening unions because it WOULDN'T work here, you know full well corporate American culture is too toxic towards workers to trust with legitimate negotiation and compromise without hard limits on their behavior. For those European nations in question the minimum wage is basically irrelevant because union culture is so strong, so there's no reason for "eliminating the minimum wage" to be a necessary part of the package. It's only necessary in the USA because we have such a rich history of corporate and political power joining forces to break and bypass unions.

How do you think unions will fair in this country as automation moves forward?

 

[Professor Emeritus]

How do you think unions will fair in this country as automation moves forward?

That's too vague a question. I have friends in the trades who love their union right now. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

For me unions are a balancing reaction to the power of industry over the worker. If automation increases industry power, that makes unions more necessary, not less. The further imbalance in power may necessitate other reactions beyond unions (such as UBI), but I don't see how they eliminate the need, quite the opposite.

If you remember, America's union movement in fact originally started when another form of automation led to workers becoming concentrated in factories and a similar decrease in worker power had occurred.

 

[mr. smoke weed]

Do they? At least prior to coronavirus?... Alot of shyt suggests the (white) masses are content with the way things are and have been heading...

N to be clear, that wasnt intended to be a hit on Democrats ...

What specifically suggests that?

 

[FlimFlam]

What specifically suggests that?

For the sake of being terse ill just leave it at the fact that nothing is a national issue that requires remedial state investment level intervention until it effects too many white people.

Alot of today social issues are historic. Today's impotence of labor at the very least could have been delayed if the public were willing to ensure protections and well being of its most vulnerable laboring populations just as a means of establishing a humane living basement of standards .as i said , the politicians and those they represented had decades to do this...but they didnt want to.

Leveling out the white working and middle class will be leaving things the way they have been. The timing and the rhetoric and national culture suggests thats the national desire