> Bills store does not exert downward pressure on wages
> or undermine solidarity with workers because it is
> staffed by family.
John, you're quite wrong. (Notice, by the way, that I do adopt a civil tone with John, though people like Munson are beyond all hope.)
It is the responsibility of the union to enforce and uphold INDUSTRY STANDARDS for its members. The power of unions in most industries has been broken, but in those places where unions still have industry power, it is right and correct for them to do everything in their power to defend it. Any departure from industry standards in this context constitutes a threat to union power and therefore to all other workers in the industry. Individual workers do not and SHOULD NOT have the option of cutting their own deal with a boss in these situations, and even less so should an individual boss be allowed to break the pattern.
In this context, also, one part of the industry standard is that every worker in the industry in that particular market be a member of the union. This demand is NON-NEGOTIABLE, and a union is within its rights to use whatever means at its disposal to enforce this. If you want to call yourself part of the left (as opposed to a liberal), you are duty-bound to extend solidarity to the workers.
- - - - - - - - - - John Lacny http://www.johnlacny.com
Tell no lies, claim no easy victories