Daniel J. Morrison – 12/5/04

This page was last updated on December 5, 2004.

Time to unionize; Daniel J. Morrison; Beaver County Times; December 5, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Letter writer Jean Kashiwsky hit the nail dead center (‘Election’s over, not issue,’ Monday).

“Those of you who voted for President Bush intentionally kicked sand in the face of every working person in America. Because for whatever reason we ended up in low-paying jobs, I guess we don’t deserve health care or a living wage.”

[RWC] Notice that Mr. Morrison doesn’t tell us why those of us who voted for President Bush “intentionally kicked sand in the face of every working person in America.” If it’s true, most of kicked sand in our own faces unless Mr. Morrison believes the 51% who voted for President Bush are independently wealthy.

Mr. Morrison’s comment about low-paying jobs shows a Marxist belief. Apparently he believes our compensation should not be based on our economic contribution.

“And as far as voting under the guise of moral issues goes, I’m pro-life - not just for the unborn but for living, the elderly and the disabled.

“This is supposed to be the greatest country in the world. I used to think that but I’m beginning to wonder. You don’t go to war on one man’s say-so, and you sure don’t write a blank check for another country when children in your own country are going to bed hungry.”

[RWC] We didn’t “go to war on one man’s say-so.” I guess Mr. Morrison forgot Congress passed the Iraq War Resolution.

Mr. Morrison wants us to believe we’re helping people in other countries at the expense of our own citizens. This simply isn’t true. If a child in this country doesn’t receive proper nutrition, clothing, education, healthcare, et cetera, it is not because of a lack of both private and public programs.

“This whole situation is out of hand with no end in sight. It’s time the blue-collar workers rise and take our country back, and that means unionizing. A lot of people have been brainwashed that unions are not needed or they don’t want to pay dues.”

[RWC] Take the country back from whom? We just had an election and nearly 61 million voters (51%) voted for President Bush.

Straight from the liberal playbook, you must be mentally incompetent (brainwashed) or stupid not to want a labor union.

“But the bottom line is union jobs pay more and have better benefits because the workers have a voice.”

[RWC] Not the “voice” myth again! In case Mr. Morrison missed the trend of the last few decades, workers making more than their fair market value have been losing their jobs. Again, Mr. Morrison doesn’t want to recognize that a worker’s compensation must be tied to his economic value. When workers are paid more than their economic value, the business eventually goes belly up.

Don’t misinterpret my comments; I believe every job has value and is honorable. I personally held both minimum wage and very good paying jobs. At the same time, I don’t believe a person should be paid more than the economic value of his job. For example, a paperboy should not expect to be compensated the same as an aircraft mechanic.

“And if unions are so bad, why do some businesses have a written plan of action if a labor representative talks to the workers or gives them literature. The manager on duty is to collect and dispose of any pamphlets and call the corporate attorneys.”

[RWC] I miss the logic of these two (almost) sentences.

What right does labor union management have to perform their business on company property and on the company’s dime? What if company management tried to distribute pro-company literature during a labor union meeting or in the halls of AFL-CIO headquarters?

“I know this because I worked for six months for such a company. When I became eligible for medical benefits, I filled out the forms and gave them to a smiling store manager. The next morning after I came in and loaded the delivery trucks, I was called to the office and told I was laid off. You be the judge.”

[RWC] We can’t judge anything because we don’t know the full story.