Union Bosses

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Union Bosses

Post by NineBerry » Tue Jun 20, 2017 8:42 pm

Why are worker union bosses always the bad guys in American television films and series?

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Re: Union Bosses

Post by Brian Peacock » Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:44 pm

Because traditionally US Unions were often an extension of, and cover for, organised crime.
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by Feck » Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:44 pm

Because they were owned by organized crime !
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by JimC » Wed Jun 21, 2017 12:10 am

It is a capitalist conspiracy to make unions look evil! :lay:
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by pErvinalia » Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:15 am

Because they're socialists.
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by Svartalf » Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:30 am

JimC wrote:It is a capitalist conspiracy to make unions look evil! :lay:
I tend to agree, even the asociation with the maffia is part of the conspiration
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by Rum » Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:40 am

American Labour generally is treated as corrupt in the media in my view. If you think of the dockers in the Wire for example, or numerous movies set in working class unionised communities a picture of nepotism, corruption and shady dealing is nearly always presented.

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Re: Union Bosses

Post by NineBerry » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:17 am

Unions hardly ever make appearances in German television. They are seen as boring bureaucrats. No one would ever think of them being interesting enough to making them part of some story.

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Re: Union Bosses

Post by pErvinalia » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:48 am

Right on cue here in Oz... today the head of the CFMEU (construction forestry manufacturing and something or other union) has threatened government building site inspectors by saying "When we come after you, you'd better be careful", among other things. He's a very thuggy angry looking man.
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by Forty Two » Wed Jun 21, 2017 2:40 pm

NineBerry wrote:Why are worker union bosses always the bad guys in American television films and series?
Organized crime. The mafia.
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by Forty Two » Wed Jun 21, 2017 2:43 pm

Rum wrote:American Labour generally is treated as corrupt in the media in my view. If you think of the dockers in the Wire for example, or numerous movies set in working class unionised communities a picture of nepotism, corruption and shady dealing is nearly always presented.
Well, nepotism, corruption and shady dealing is common in unions.

A lot of Merkins don't like unions because of the way unions often work, which sometimes seems illogical and inefficient. The "not my job" mentality. Or, the mentality that a machine can't get fixed because we have to wait for the correct union guy. Or, union workers in job X standing idle because the jobs that at the time need doing have to be done by workers in job Y, even though the job X guys can do job Y too.

Unions have their benefits, but they are not all wine and roses. To fail to acknowledge their deficiencies is to fail to recognize reality.
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Re: Union Bosses

Post by JimC » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:18 pm

pErvin wrote:Right on cue here in Oz... today the head of the CFMEU (construction forestry manufacturing and something or other union) has threatened government building site inspectors by saying "When we come after you, you'd better be careful", among other things. He's a very thuggy angry looking man.
John Setka, and yes, he and his mates are thugs, it's a rather problematic union...

And I say that as a union member, and someone who firmly believes that unions are a necessary counterpoint to the power of employers. But, as 42 said, there are also opportunities for corruption and the abuse of power, particularly in unions with serious industrial muscle, in that their strike actions, for example, can have major effects. The other point (which applies equally to CEOs and politicians) is that the people who are successful in rising to positions of power often have all the moral qualities of a rabid weasel...
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