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Labor Unions in the United States have outlived their usefulness and need to be outlawed. As we look back we see that the Labor Union movement is barely over 125 years old. It can be tracked back to about 1880, maybe a bit beyond. When we consider the conditions for workers back then and through the Great Depression, the need for labor unions is apparent. If not for unions, children would be working in factories, people would be working much longer hours every day, and there would be no weekends off; all these are important facts. I believe unions were absolutely necessary and historically served a good purpose. I also believe they no longer serve a positive purpose, but they have actually contributed in a big way to our current economic crisis. We have come too far for our society to allow the conditions mentioned above, even without labor unions.
Consider that in modern times there is not one major corporation subject to labor union organization of its employees that has been successful. Not a single one! Oh, you will be able to find some second tier companies that seem successful in spite of unionization, but on some of these the jury is still out. Additionally, if you look at heavily unionized states, like California, it is pretty easy to see the enormous negative impact of the labor unions. If the state of California were not controlled by the unions and their unreasonable contracts, it would have a far easier path out of its financial woes.
Let’s take a look at the General Motors situation. With the U.S. economy continuing to shed jobs—In Detroit, the UAW has been in the way of a reasonable solution. While they have agreed to some concessions as part of the GM's bankruptcy negotiations with the federal government, their real goal was and is to keep GM afloat to provide jobs for their membership. GM has become about jobs, not about building automobiles. It should have been allowed to fail without government intervention, and it most likely would have were it not for the labor unions. Let’s face it… had the labor unions been eliminated five years ago GM would probably not have found itself in it’s current financial condition. Oh, I know there are some other factors, but those probably could have been dealt with were it not for the unions.
So, GM exists only to provide jobs for the union workers, and for no other reason. Even our government has acknowledged that allowing GM to disappear would cause such unemployment directly and in allied businesses, that it may be the kiss of death for our economy. However, having said that, it is my bet that GM will be allowed to fail as soon as it is determined that the economy could survive the impact.
A wise move by the United States government would be to outlaw all labor unions right now, before it has to deal with the Union Bosses when the time to let GM fail arrives. Outlawing all labor unions at this time would also prove to be an economic blessing to California and other states finding themselves in a similar position.
Tough times require tough decisions. I hope we are up to the challenge.
Be blessed,
Wayne
Love all – Trust some – Harm none
Link to me at: www.LinkedIn.com/in/wcweeks
Follow me at: http://twitter.com/wcweeks
Be a friend at: www.Facebook.com
.
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Review of "Historic Photos of the Chinese in California"
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Text and Captions by Hannah Clayborn – Copyright (c) 2009 – Turner Publishing Company, Nashville, TN 37219
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The book "Historic Photos of the Chinese in California" recently came into my possession. It looked like the standard coffee table book of photos. However, there was something about the picture on the cover that caused me to examine it carefully. I was then compelled to turn it over and look at the nine photos reproduced on the back cover. Each one commanded a bit of my time to study it fully. I was drawn to each photo.
I found the same thing happened when I opened the book. I was not able to put it down and, in fact went completely through it twice, and no doubt will visit it again.
Being a California native, I have a modicum of knowledge about how the Chinese fit into the development of California. I think most of us know there was a significant Chinese contribution to the establishment of the railroads, at least in the west, but the enormous offering made to railroad construction overshadowed some of their other contributions to California. Having lived in northern California, I was also aware of the hundreds of miles of rock walls built by the Chinese as fences for the ranchers marking the boundaries of their lands. Beyond that, I knew very little of California Chinese history.
Hannah Clayborn has done a stellar job of bringing some of the other Chinese contributions to light by way of an excellent photographic journal, combined with on-target comments and captions. Like many others, the Chinese were attracted to California in part as a result of the Gold Rush. However, because they were unable to own land or file gold claims they mostly ended up working for others for very low laborer’s wages. Their dreams of riches by way of gold were pretty much wiped away.
In 1850 there were 25,000 Chinese in California as recorded in California’s 1852 census. Many left the gold fields to seek employment and income elsewhere. As Chinese women were somewhat restricted from immigrating, this was a largely male population and a very able work force. By 1870 Chinese made up ten percent of California’s population, but accounted for almost 25 percent of the unskilled labor force. Chinese laborers were active in farming, fishing, sharecropping resulting in vegetable sales and other menial labor-intensive tasks as well as working the gold fields. In addition they proved to be very adept as cooks and shopkeepers.
While I am able to relay a bit of Chinese history here, I want to credit Hannah Clayborn, as this book is the only reference I used as a source of information. If you have found what I have written interesting, I must tell you it pales in comparison to Hannah’s book. The book "Historic Photos of the Chinese in California" is a must see. From beginning to end, with hundreds of photos and comments, the history unfolds. If you are at all like me you will be spellbound.
I understand this review may seem more like a promotional piece for the book rather than an objective review, but there was just no other way I could write it. This book is an exciting piece of work.
Be blessed,
Wayne
Love all – Trust some – Harm none
Link to me at: www.LinkedIn.com/in/wcweeks
Follow me at: http://twitter.com/wcweeks
Be a friend at: http://www.facebook.com/
.
Text and Captions by Hannah Clayborn – Copyright (c) 2009 – Turner Publishing Company, Nashville, TN 37219
******************************************************************************
The book "Historic Photos of the Chinese in California" recently came into my possession. It looked like the standard coffee table book of photos. However, there was something about the picture on the cover that caused me to examine it carefully. I was then compelled to turn it over and look at the nine photos reproduced on the back cover. Each one commanded a bit of my time to study it fully. I was drawn to each photo.
I found the same thing happened when I opened the book. I was not able to put it down and, in fact went completely through it twice, and no doubt will visit it again.
Being a California native, I have a modicum of knowledge about how the Chinese fit into the development of California. I think most of us know there was a significant Chinese contribution to the establishment of the railroads, at least in the west, but the enormous offering made to railroad construction overshadowed some of their other contributions to California. Having lived in northern California, I was also aware of the hundreds of miles of rock walls built by the Chinese as fences for the ranchers marking the boundaries of their lands. Beyond that, I knew very little of California Chinese history.
Hannah Clayborn has done a stellar job of bringing some of the other Chinese contributions to light by way of an excellent photographic journal, combined with on-target comments and captions. Like many others, the Chinese were attracted to California in part as a result of the Gold Rush. However, because they were unable to own land or file gold claims they mostly ended up working for others for very low laborer’s wages. Their dreams of riches by way of gold were pretty much wiped away.
In 1850 there were 25,000 Chinese in California as recorded in California’s 1852 census. Many left the gold fields to seek employment and income elsewhere. As Chinese women were somewhat restricted from immigrating, this was a largely male population and a very able work force. By 1870 Chinese made up ten percent of California’s population, but accounted for almost 25 percent of the unskilled labor force. Chinese laborers were active in farming, fishing, sharecropping resulting in vegetable sales and other menial labor-intensive tasks as well as working the gold fields. In addition they proved to be very adept as cooks and shopkeepers.
While I am able to relay a bit of Chinese history here, I want to credit Hannah Clayborn, as this book is the only reference I used as a source of information. If you have found what I have written interesting, I must tell you it pales in comparison to Hannah’s book. The book "Historic Photos of the Chinese in California" is a must see. From beginning to end, with hundreds of photos and comments, the history unfolds. If you are at all like me you will be spellbound.
I understand this review may seem more like a promotional piece for the book rather than an objective review, but there was just no other way I could write it. This book is an exciting piece of work.
Be blessed,
Wayne
Love all – Trust some – Harm none
Link to me at: www.LinkedIn.com/in/wcweeks
Follow me at: http://twitter.com/wcweeks
Be a friend at: http://www.facebook.com/
.
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