Labor Pains

Today is Labor Day so what better time to spend a few minutes celebrating America’s labor force. OK...time’s up. You see, there doesn’t seem to be much to celebrate in light of the unemployment rate, the recession, and the plight of organized and unorganized labor alike. Unrelated topics? I’d beg to differ.

Historically, the American worker made something. A good thing since the American economy was (and still is) based on consumerism. While some companies recognized the value of their employees, others saw them as nothing but a liability and treated them accordingly. This led to the creation of labor unions to counteract the one-sidedness in the workplace.

The global economy caused corporations to rethink their “allegiance” to their community, if it ever existed in the first place. Think about it: the local C.E.O. knows that he has to set up shop somewhere and wherever that might be there will be a community that must be courted and wooed. We’ve come to learn that, given a better deal somewhere else, our benefactor will be gone in a New York minute. Now the options include the entire world and there are many places outside of this country with an abundance of cheap labor available. Say goodbye to the local plant that kept the town in business. And say goodbye to the town, too.

The power of a unionized labor force has withered to a point where just 9% of the workforce is organized. A figure not seen since 1932. The idea that unions are no longer needed resonates among those that see themselves as independent, hard working, loyal employees. “Why pay dues? I’m a good employee, so what have I to fear?” Given a concerned and engaged employer, such an employee would, indeed, have nothing to fear, but we’ve established that many employers are not loyal to anyone or anything other than their bottom line. And, in those cases, no employee is safe from a whimsical approach to lay-offs or disciplinary measures.

Now, with the recession, we have an abundance of consumers no longer able or willing to consume. Many have no job and the rest are hunkering down and delaying purchases while waiting for a brighter day. After all, their job could be next. Many jobs, or careers, are gone for good and there is an unknown future for those ex-worker bees as we do not yet know which nascent industry might provide the most promise.

So much for a Labor Day celebration, huh? We can do nothing about a recession if we are hesitant in purchasing anything other than the essentials. We cannot change the mentality of the corporate boardroom, but we can, however, take a realistic look at the press releases that emanate from therein and accept the fact that employee welfare is more than likely low on the priority list.

About all we can do is realize that any job security, absent some sort of organization looking out for our best interests, can be dashed in a flash by a capricious boss striving for yet another rung on the corporate ladder or another dollar enclosed in the yearly bonus. Are there companies out there who thrive without a union? Of course:  IBM, Gillette, and Motorola to name just a few. I do not suggest that a union be formed for no good reason, but every employee out there knows when one is needed. A workplace with a cloud of uncertainty hovering above is far from an ideal environment and begs for a security that comes from a coalescence of the employees. And this “strength in numbers” approach is not limited to the traditional unions we all know. Companies form conglomerates, cartels, and other such organizations to better deal with corporate challenges. Doctors have the AMA as lawyers similarly have the ABA and they both form clinics or law offices that provide for greater control over exterior forces. The only folks who appreciate the go-it-alone mentality are those cutting the paychecks because they know it’s much easier to cut the workforce when the mood strikes.

Does a union guarantee high wages and unlimited job security? No, but it does ensure a voice in one’s fate and serves to level a playing field that, otherwise, is tilted well in favor of management. Think back to your playground days when you accepted a teeter-totter ride from the biggest kid in the class. Remember how much fun it was to hang in the air, completely helpless, in a never-ending, horrendous experience until your “partner” decided to let you down? Your only hope then was to get another kid on your end of the board. The same applies today. The only question is on which end of the teeter-totter you’d rather sit.