Labor Day Thoughts

   As we celebrate Labor Day, I choose to vent a little bit about labor and labor unions in America.

• Way too many people in the USA have left the labor market.  Some have been put in this position because of economic conditions.  Others just simply choose not to work.  These would rather let the government take care of them.
• Labor unions have way too much power.  There was at one time when these unions served a valuable purpose.  Now these unions have transitioned from organizations which basically serve the interests of their leadership and have developed into forces which attempt to exert their influence upon the government.
• Only 12% of the work force belong to labor unions.  The campaign contributions made possible by the dues of these workers go almost exclusively to the Democratic Party.  Many of those workers would rather have their funds go to support the Republicans or to no party at all but are powerless to do anything about it.
• The auto industry buyout can described as a buyout program more for the UAW than as a buyout of the companies.  Investors in those companies lost their money while the pensions of the workers were maintained.
• Delphi, a company which is important to the auto industry, was not part of the bailout because they were non-union.  Those workers lost their jobs and their pensions.
• It is sad that the party that now controls the Presidency is one that claims to be so supportive of the laborers in this country is really the party which is just feeding at the trough of the labor bosses.  We can see what this approach has done to our economy.  It is time for a change in leadership.