Not So Nice “Sno-In-U”
Posted in Pacificus by R Lee Wrights on July 12th, 2007 by Dennis D. Hayes
I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that I am not the only one who has noticed that if you read the word “unions” backwards it will become “Sno-In-U.” Apropos… considering the fact that among the many methods utilized in our society “unions” are one of the best “snow jobs” going. As a long time proponent of Laissez-Faire capitalism, the idea of unions is especially repugnant to me.
“Don’t be silly,” you say. “Unions a snow job? Are you living in America?”
Mmmm…Hmmm, and I still don’t like them! With unions you’ve got an absurd, nearly upside-down and backward situation where employees are encouraged to be forever at odds with their employers. The snow job lies in the fact that somewhere in the background (probably chuckling to themselves), the operators of the machine we know as “state coercion” are hard at work opening new pathways into private companies with the goal of expanding their power in our lives and workplace. In the case of unions, the one thing union leaders and politicians have going for them is that there will always be more employees than employers. This is right up the politicians alley as they absolutely love to play the “majority rules” game. Next thing you know…”Ouila!”- We have laws that make it illegal for an employer to say to his employee, “You know what? If we can’t come together on this issue then maybe it would be in your best interest to pursue a more desirable position elsewhere.”
The state says that if you’re a union member you can go on strike, potentially shutting down the company you work for, not to mention all the other companies, branching in every direction, with which you conduct business.
That’s a pretty powerful thing to be able to do, right? What is the purpose?
Better pay, better hours, and better benefits. Good things, in and of themselves, except one must not forget that these purposes are extracted from the employer in a coercive manner. Most of these purposes are things that employees would be earning anyway, and so the union becomes nothing more than a tool designed to coerce cooperation.
Not for me, thank you!
In concert with Laissez-Faire capitalism, market forces are the better option as they allow both employers and employees to prosper of their own hard work and innovation. I cannot think of a more unfavorable environment to be in than the one in which union agitators can freely come onto company property, on company time, and legally recruit company employees. Not so for the employer however, it is illegal for them to lobby for or against a union in their own facility. If there was a strike, the state makes it illegal for the employer to say, “Look…either you return to work tomorrow or we will no longer have need of your services.” Do you suppose for one minute that unions without state and local political support would have any teeth at all? I submit that without the cover granted by state coercion they would wither away into toothless gummers whose only and more appropriate role would be that of a club, or perhaps an employees association.
(Ok…get ready…the snow is beginning to swirl!) Instead, what we are left with are unions and union leaders who infiltrate private companies, on private company time, so they can get more company employees to further their goal of an expansion of their power within that company. I liken this operation to the way mistletoe(s) slowly but steadily consume and then extinguish the mighty oak. It seems that parasitical in nature easily translates into parasitical in society.
In any event, and from what I have gathered unions usually result in less not more. Less for the employee: by virtue of costs associated with union dues and lost voting positions. Less for the employer: by virtue of stagnant growth and stunted vision owing to third party interference. (How much debt does an employer take on before the company collapses and takes everybody with it?) And finally, less for the customer: Less value at inflated prices, and generally speaking- poorer quality goods and services.
The better way, no matter what it is you do for a living, is the way that contributes valuable products and services at fair or bargain prices, and still manages to turn a profit. In other words, the better way is to remain open and unencumbered by any outside entity.
So don’t be snowed under by the siren call of union reps. Unions only exist to expand the power of politicians and the state. As long as there are unions we will all be a little poorer. Ultimately, you can be sure that unions can guarantee one and one thing only; that employees will be kept at odds with employers in a perpetual state of grumble.
As for me, I must continue to say, “See Ya later Unions! It’s been not so nice “Sno-In-U!”
Originally published in Liberty For All May 06, 2002.
Dennis Hayes is a healthy and independent thinker, author, and medical professional. Never one to pass up the opportunity to play at being a wordsmith, especially when it comes to politics and music, he has been actively writing for more than two decades. He has been with Liberty for All since its inaugural issue and devotes the bulk of his time to his family, his work, and the pursuit of happiness. If you wish, please feel free to comment. He can be reached at JonnyHexmarcke@hotmail.com
Liberty For All » Blog Archive » Value is Subjective said,
July 20, 2007 @ 1:00 am
[...] It’s safe to say the value or disvalue we place on unions is subjective. This is an important place to begin as I attempt to respond to T.L. Knapp’s recent rebuttal to my article, Not So Nice- “Sno-In-U”. In the true libertarian fashion it appears we can agree to disagree. Even so, there are some interesting points in his rebuttal that I would like to address. Perhaps I can at least show Mr. Knapp that my dislike of unions is not merely reflexive after all, but is in fact contextual even if in a general sense. I know and like Tom very much and I certainly don’t want to leave him with an impression of “discomfiture” regarding the subject, so I will attempt to make my argument such that he can at least acknowledge a measure of validity in my points, especially when placed in the light of his own most recent efforts involving the free market. ” No Tom, I am referring to your lawn mowing business!!” [...]
Liberty For All » Blog Archive » Value is Subjective … and that’s the point said,
October 13, 2008 @ 12:11 am
[...] Dennis Hayes doesn’t like unions, and he has reasons for not liking them (”Not so Nice — ‘Sno-In-U,’” in Liberty for All). I like unions — or, to be more precise, I don’t [...]