Unions and rise in wages....

[RadioRaheem84]

A libertarian the other day asserted that union demands do not create prosperity or increase wages. Europe has for many years been more unionized than America, and our rises in real wages have outpaced those of Europe for the entire time. Is this true?

[ComradeOm]

No. US real wages have been shrinking (http://www.workinglife.org/wiki/Wages+and+Benefits%3A+Real+Wages+%281964-2004%29) for the last number of decades

[Pogue]

To paraphrase Forward Union, I don't earn enough to buy a loaf of bread from working 16 hours in a steel mill anymore so clearly unions have helped us out alot.

The union movement, i.e. working class organisation to defend its interests and advance itself is the reason why we all still don't live in slums. Part of this is wage increases.

[red cat]

There are many trade unions which are controlled by agents of the bourgeoisie. Do not confuse their existence with the absence of workers' rights etc.

[RGacky3]

A libertarian the other day asserted that union demands do not create prosperity or increase wages. Europe has for many years been more unionized than America, and our rises in real wages have outpaced those of Europe for the entire time. Is this true?


No. US real wages have been shrinking (http://www.anonym.to/?http://www.workinglife.org/wiki/Wages+and+Benefits%3A+Real+Wages+%281964-2004%29) for the last number of decades

Simply put, the guys full of crap.

[Dejavu]

A libertarian the other day asserted that union demands do not create prosperity or increase wages. Europe has for many years been more unionized than America, and our rises in real wages have outpaced those of Europe for the entire time. Is this true?

Should have asked him what he meant by prosperity. Unions do increase the wages of at least half its members and typically, increase that wage substantially.

Whatever is left of the Union members they are the victims of a two tier wage system. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-tier_system) A lot of places operate this way in order to compensate the increasing and rising demands of senior laborers.

People not in the Unions for a specific kind of work either do not have work available to them due to barriers of entry (i.e. unemployment) or either advance faster or do not get as many benefits.


Real Savings have been decreasing due to an inflated money supply which directly effects the workers' purchasing power. It might have been that 50 years ago Americans doing my job maybe made an annual salary of $20,000 or so but the purchasing power of that equals somewhere between $70,000 - $90,000 today and probably more.

[danyboy27]

i often have to talk with a lot of purolator driver who are member of the teamster union.

its just amasing how well paid they are, and their buisness is STILL making profits.