communication issues between public unions and the population

[danyboy27]

i think its really a serious issue to discuss.

In Quebec most of our public workers are in several unions, and beccause they are verry often in trouble with the governement, the people tend to have a fairly negative opinion about them.

Personally i think if those unions would make efforts to reach the avearge citizen on the regular basis, to keep him informed about the services given, and dirrectly listening to them, it would reduce tensions greatly and make the services better.

I think it would be the best recipies to fight neo-liberals and right wing libertarians who are right now threatening our most basics services and our right of being in a union.

[RGacky3]

The PR campain in Wisconsin that the AFL-CIO did and the public workers did worked pretty well, it was'nt so much a PR campain as it was a giant giant protest.

The problem with libertarians and neo-liberals is their message is a very simplistic one, like a quick solution, whereas the progressive message and the union message is much more sophisticated and takes some explaining (such as why unionized workplaces attract better talent, why it helps everyone else by setting industry standards and so on).

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Goddamn I hate those short quik simple answers libertarians have for everything. They're fucking stupid.

I agree with the op, perception is massive. Not only unions, tough that needs to turn around, but also progressives in general need to take the offensive and tell people why they support what they do. Once the right has an image created it can attack the damage becomes arder to undo.

That being said it's a massively complicated effort that takes coordination on so many levels to be able to compete with the resources the right wing has.


BTW, I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere on this site, but the bill being contended in WI allows for the sale of public utilities owned by the state (like power plants, for example) to private investors without bidding. It's straight up fucking robbery, yet the right spins it as an inherently good step. Fucking morons. It's gotten so much heat the Koch bros have come out and said they're not trying to buy them, but still it's fucking ridiculous.

[danyboy27]

Union in the private sector dosnt have to deal with the same kind of shit, all they have to care is to apply enough pressure on the bosses.

The real issue about unionized public worker is that, they work for the people, it make them vulnerable to politicians beccause politician (apparently) represent the people will.


In my province right now public worker unions are doing a wonderful job at being hated by the common folks.

The only perceptible sloppy reaction to that hatred is to send their weakest speaker on talk radio being totally demolished by those damn right wing libertarians.

There is no effort to adress the population, unless of course they go on strike, then suddenly they are becoming the friend of the people, but nobody buy that.

Union structure in the public sector in Quebec is incredibly rigid and often discourage young dynamic people of participating in the efforts.

The only thing that is saving their asses right now is the total incompetence of any right wing political party to get properly organized and the general hatred from the polulation to be political active in a way or another.

[RGacky3]

Private sector unions don't get it really that much any more, but if they get any significant ammount of power watch them get it, I don't know about the situation in Canada but in the US regan essencially destroyed private unions, so they arn't much of a threat any more.

But the are still under attack through "right to work laws" and so on.


Union structure in the public sector in Quebec is incredibly rigid and often discourage young dynamic people of participating in the efforts.


That is the major issue with many unions, they need to be democratic, otherwise they arn't really unions.


The only perceptible sloppy reaction to that hatred is to send their weakest speaker on talk radio being totally demolished by those damn right wing libertarians.

There is no effort to adress the population, unless of course they go on strike, then suddenly they are becoming the friend of the people, but nobody buy that.


Some Times it takes a Scott Mubarak Walker to shake the public unions out of their complacency.