Let me say this up front - I am not, nor have I ever been a member of organized labor. However, I can see its need, now more than ever. Let me explain.
This goes back to the November elections where we voted to raise minimum wage. I voted for it, while one of my good friends voted against it. We got into a passionate discussion about the matter, and he argued that raising the minimum standard was not a good idea, and would not put money in your pocket like you thought it would. I proceeded to tell him he was nuts, this is exactly what was needed to help get everyone closer to a living wage, etc...
Looks like he might have been right.
If you're just making minimum wage, then things will be looking up a little. But, that's before the prices of goods and services go up. For those of us who are above it...will the money in our pocket increase? Probably not. I don't know of many employers who will just hike your pay by a dollar because minimum wage went up. You're already above it, so don't gripe.
Will goods and services continue to climb in price? Probably so. So, the job that you were doing at the start of this year for X-amount of money has now been cut by a dollar against the minimum. It's like the company is getting you for a buck less an hour.
Unions exist because businesses do not treat their workers well. If they would pay a fair wage, with decent benefits, there would be no unions. However, that's not the case today.
So, what are you going to do about it?
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