Corporations & Unions
Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr
To grossly oversimplify things, the conservative view is that corporations are good and unions are bad. To use one example, the governor of Wisconsin is busy lowering taxes for corporations while trying to reduce or eliminate the collective bargaining rights of state employees.
In some ways the dislike of unions is historical in origin. Unions were often associated (in reality or in the minds of the corporate types) with Communists and anarchists. Unions are, obviously enough, almost always considered left wing in nature. After all, they tend to support the workers rather than the businesses. This, of course, gives folks who are for corporate profits a good reason to oppose unions-unions often push companies to pay more, to provide more benefits and to not employ child or slave labor.
Interestingly enough, corporations and unions can actually be seen as being essentially the same. First, both are organizations that aim at benefiting their members. Corporations aim to maximize profits while unions aim to maximize the benefits for their members. They both organize to do this, although corporations rely primarily on financial power and unions rely more on weight of numbers. Second, both are often harshly criticized for trying to do what they are supposed to do-at least when they go too far. Corporations are typically attacked for trying to maximize profits via means that are regarded as wrong-such as exploiting workers, cutting corners in safety and so on. Unions are most often criticized for trying to get as much as they can from corporations and this is seen as harming the corporation in particular and the economy in general.
In terms of the classic stereotype, corporations are supposed to dream of having slave laborers toiling around the clock in horrible conditions while toxic waste is spewed into the very mouths of spotted owls. Unions, of course, are supposed to crave a world in which corporations funnel all their money to the workers, who show up only to collect their pay and to pilfer office supplies.
While these stereotypes do not generally match reality, there are legitimate grounds to be critical of corporations and unions. Both have done and will do bad things that harm the general good. However, both also provide goods that are worth having. Corporations provide a means by which people can organize in order to make money. Unions provide a means by which people organize to prevent themselves from being exploited and mistreated by those who wish to make money. Ideally, the two would serve t0 balance each other-the corporations would work to keep the unions from becoming too excessive while unions do the same for corporations.
While it is easy (and often fun) to blast corporations or unions, it is well worth considering the value of each and the need to have both. At least for the time being.
Let’s not forget that multinational corporations can simply pack up and move their operations to another country if they don’t like it here. Hence the push to make corporate tax rates comparable to those in the rest of the world.
A good job is the best way to redistribute wealth. A shortage of labor is the best way to raise living standards for those at the lower end of the economic ladder.
And you ingore the most important factor, the reason either the unions or the corporations even exist, the end consumer. If the end consumer chooses to take their business elsewhere due to either high costs or poor quality, both the union and corporation lose. Yet which of the two entities is more responsible for meeting the needs of the customers?
Unions.
“Yet which of the two entities is more responsible for meeting the needs of the customers?”
Either both or neither, depending on what sense you intend ‘responsible’; the former if you mean efficient cause, the latter if you mean duty.
Unions? Really? Do unions decide what products the company will produce? Do unions set the specifications for how those products will work? The vast majority of unions don’t even design the products. Do unions set the prices of the products? Do unions determine the marketing strategies? When the product fails or causes harm, who gets sued, the unions or the corporation?
Who do does all the actual work?
Running the corporation isn’t “actual work”? Do you think corporate managers just sit around in their board rooms smoking cigars and drinking brandy all day? When one of your students comments in such a way that makes it apparent that they are oblivious to the amount of time you spend in course development, class preparation, test/paper grading, and faculty responsibilities, do you not find that amusing? Standing in front of a class and lecturing is what, 1/3 of your job perhaps? Just because you don’t see the rest of the iceberg doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Again, if the product is flawed who is held accountable, the corporation or the union?
Odd position for a philosopher to take. Management = Philosophy + Responsibility
I’d say doing the work is generally more work than managing the work. Of course, workers and management can be slackers just as they can be hard workers.
Flawed products can be the result of many factors, including the leadership chocies and the manufacturing.
How so? Are you measuring work only in foot-pounds or joules? There’s much more to managing than just managing “the work”. There’s managing the supply chain, the finances, making sure you have the cash to make payroll, pursuing dead-beat customers, negotiating with suppliers, meeting the various OSHA and environmental requirements, acquiring new customers, staying on top of the latest technology changes, knowing your competition, etc. All of these things and many more, management must do or labor will not have a place to work.
As for the management of labor itself, as you know from your comments about students, people can be a pain in the ass. They can be extremely unreliable, they don’t show up on time, etc. but you still need to have the right number of people available to get the job done yet not too many for the work load expected. Keeping people busy during slack in demand. Getting the most out of people when demand temporarily spikes. When workers think they’re being treated unfairly relative to other workers, you have to assess if they are right and if so, address the slacking other party. If not, you need to straighten out their perceptions. Most psychologists can’t manage that. Not to mention morale problems, justified or not, etc. etc. etc.
And again, if you have a problem with your car, do you contact Toyota/GM/Honda/Whoever or do you call the UAW? Who is responsible to the customer?
Just thought I would tell you greedy People, The Corporations and, Unions you are working for have all became very Rich ( thanks to you idiots) will soon be leaving our Country therefore you will be left without a job and when you go to look for another, if they find out you were in the Union they will never hire you, afraid you may go psycho on them like you have everyone else that given you a job. Soon you will understand the truth about your Communist Union When its too late.You have no freedom anymore. They even tell you how to vote. You are all a bunch of Soro’s Puppets that have lost your American values. I only Pray when the walls come tumbeling down on you your Children are not there to see it. Good luck and may God bless you all!
You’re an idiot. How’s that for an argument? Go watch some more Glenn Beck.