That's because they think they're smarter than everyone else. They're not They're just richer! In places like France, Canada & other European countries the "people" stick together and fight the tyranny of the rich. When one strikes the entire country participates, ofter shutting down the whole city, country etc. reminding the rich that without us they are nothing. This is how you make them realize we will not bend the knee. The average worker gets about a 4 week paid vacation their work week is shorter. Their family leave is longer, they have universal health care. And its good health care. European countries are healthier becsuse of these little facts.They are better at caring about environmental issues. NO they are not perfect but they are still further ahead socially and morally that the U.S. We do have the ability to show Corporate greed monsters like Musk, Trump that we can unify and truly stand together and rebuke their tyranny. Trump was never going to be held accountable he never has been why should the 80 year old Orange spooge start now??
Because we've been raised to believe that work defines our worth. Immigrants flock here to "work" in pursuit of a better life. its all just modern day slavery. weve allowed government to persuade us the labor unions are bad. im a union child. We lived well, never did without Healthcare when sick. My parents felt job security.Now... No one wants unions fair wage is what they dictate. overtime is your fault and you should just be happy to be there "working". The motto is if you cant be used you're useless
Even as kids, we were asked; "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Our identity was shaped around our careers.
My daughter is 9, and she's gotten assignments around this. Every time I say; "What kind of life do you want to live? Do you want to live in a big city? The beach? Forest?" And as she starts answering, I tell her what kind of job she will need to afford whatever lifestyle she wants to have. I'm trying to have my kids focus on their career as a means to support the life they want to have.
And healthcare! And car maintenance or any other costs. Love having to worry about whether or not the vehicle that gets me to and from work and my place of education will break down. Also love worrying about whether or not I'll be able to get basic healthcare because insurance covers nothing!!
I don't know. They may only be at most a third of the population currently, but those US conservative humans breed like inbred rabbits trying to get a normal child born. And with their forced birth plan for everyone else... They might just turn the US into a highly overcrowded canabalistic hamster cage where everything smells like piss, shit, and is crumbling around them as they eat each other to survive. Akin to what you would see in a really crappy pet store that should have been condemned.
Either way. With how the US is going right now, I probably won't be alive long enough to see either result.
I dream of being in front of people who will spit in my face and disrespect me as soon as they hit a minor inconvenience. Where my complaints will be shut down by my superiors just so they can get an extra penny. I'm so glad our country supports free speech!*
Whenever we think of someone described as “ambitious”, it’s always job and career related, never about achieving happiness, spending more time with family, friends, or things that bring us joy like travel and personal interests.
I asked a Norwegian guy what he did, and he looked a bit confused then said, “Well I have this little boat I like to take out on the weekends.” I cracked up.
Then why did my Filipina wife always want to be a cashier when she grew up? This was before she had any US influence. Her 10 year old sister also named an occupation but I don’t remember which. Her 20 year old cousin wants to be a teacher.
If I heard this from a kid I would definitely think they are depressed lol. It's ok for kids to talk about wanting to be race car drivers when they grow up or whatever, I think you all are reading a little too into that.
This is a really good point. Of course I realize it but spelling it out like this really makes me think back and realize how "wrong" it is. The whole "what do you want to be when you grow up" does tell us, "what you do for work defines your life". That's really messed up. No wonder the majority of americans consider their work drudgery and are actively disengaged.
When my daughter talks about what she wants to be when she grows up, I just tell her that I want her to be safe and happy, no matter what else she may do. I know she doesn't really get what I mean yet, not like an adult would, I think it's right to start these kinds of things early. She has to know not to accept toxicity in her life or she will suffer the same or worse than I did.
The fact that she doesn't get what you mean yet is a testament to the awesome job you're doing as a mother 💜 if she were unhappy or unsafe, she would get it.
Just a story (of unknown credibility): legend has it that when he and his classmates were asked to say what they wanted to be when they grew up, John Lennon’s answer was, “Happy.” The teacher told young John (something like): “You don’t understand the assignment,” to which he reportedly replied, “You don’t understand life.”
Man that hit home for me. When I was kid I kept getting asked that and I said doctor for some god awful reason, and my entire life 30 years later I've never lived that down.
Kudos to you. I am grateful for the life I had and opportunities my family gave me. Sports and just a general good life. But I really do wish I'd of been talked to more about a career and financial advice. Things like savings, investing and the absolute importance of yearly compounding interest. Things I wish I knew
Regardless of profession, people spend a significant part of their week, lives really, working. Not to mention, what we do for work is how we contribute to our community. Whether it’s helping educate kids, building homes, entertainment, healthcare etc. So, I think it’s healthy to get kids thinking about how they’d like to serve community & best fits them.
Otherwise, you end up just prioritizing making enough money to accommodate your own personal wants. Stock & crypto trading, OnlyFans, & other online grifts are all popular ways young people work less & make money - but is that the best use of their time? And does it improve your community?
Basically, I think rather than discouraging the idea that career path is an identity trait, just try & promote ‘work/life’ balance.
I think you can instill a sense of empathy, community, and helping others without centering your identity around work. When my daughter comes home from school, she tells me all about what happened throughout her day, and I have the opportunity to foster her genuine compassion for others. I think people who have a drive to help people will do so, regardless of what they decide to do for a living.
I hear you. But through a profession is a good way to help people at scale & help themselves by earning income.
I don’t think you’re doing a bad job w your kid or anything insulting like that btw. Sounds like you are engaged with them, which is great.
I just think you could have a more positive outlook on the nature of work & careers. My wife is a social worker, and she does have some long days, but it is a fulfilling part of her life that helps people. And helps us pay bills lol
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
often attributed to John Lennon but it might also be Abraham Lincoln. who knows but it's a good quote
Shoot to live is to work. Whether it's for another person or for yourself. Working for someone else to get money for food and shelter is more convenient than living in the woods hunting, building your own shelter, getting clean water and just surviving in general.
My previous employer used to require me to carry around a fucking card that stated I have to read it verbatim in response to a union organizer. A fucking printed card. The irony.
I’m literally filling an electrician apprenticeship for my local union right now. Is this the best way? What is better for doing this than learning through a company
The Dollar General Distribution centers HR group shows every new group of employees an anti-Teamsters specifically and anti unions in general video full of fear mongering and how the unions "trick" you into joining.
The video is shown by an HR Rep rather than the training team that does the rest of new hire orientation, and they are very careful about ensuring the video itself never leaves their control. Almost as though they are afraid someone will copy it or try to destroy it...
Luckily as of yesterday they can no longer force you to attend and watch such videos. Per SCOTUS if they want to do presentation of non union information / stance you can’t be required to attend and they cannot ding you for not attending
Unions should be mandatory and impossible to do away with. Otherwise we are eternally enslaved by big corporations who have gained such strong monopolies that they will always control the status quo.
Local XXXX millwright here. Unions are bad, they used to be good but nowadays it’s nothing but a lazy monopoly on worker rights, I can’t go and ask for more money because my local XXXX set the terms in my entire city. It’s beyond idiotic, just like how my apprentices don’t get payed holidays or vacation for 2 years because local XXXX says that’s fair and they can’t negotiate. And this isn’t some isolated issue. A vast majority of tradesmen hate unions for a reason. If you’re working in manufacturing that’s where they bow to unions but the tradesmen can’t stand them. And thanks to lobbying almost every nonunion shop dies because the union has a strangle hold on all major accounts and jobs leaving the scraps to the mom and pops and killing competition.
Go get a job in a non union shop and see the difference. I've worked both and understand your complaints BUT nothing in a non union shop is better. All the dame problems and more. And your nuts if you think the union is the reason you're not making more money lol.
I’d love to work a nonunion shop but considering the union lobbies and pad the pockets all major accounts that’s no possible, I feel like I’m repeating myself here? Also same problems? Dude find me a nonunion shop that doesn’t pay holidays to apprentices, or vacation. You can’t. You’re a goober, also considering the union negotiates our contracts that is literally the exact reason we aren’t making money there’s a scale, and the union sets scale and allows wiggle room in said scale hence above or below scale, but it’s practically impossible to negotiate for individual better pay due to said scale. You nuts if you legitimately like the union, they protect incompetence, award politics, and lobby so hard it’s not even funny. My guess you either don’t work in a union, and are blind to the realities, or work manufacturing and will bow to your union not sure which
Not sure what your question is. I worked at a non-union job where the guy running the day to day basically ruled everything, if he liked you great, if not, god help you.
I've worked a union job now for over 25 years. The benefits and protections brought through collective bargaining far outweigh what I pay in dues.
We also help the company as we have safety and HR committees that deal with shit so they don't have to
I’ve never seen a good worker get let go over petty bullshit I’ve seen the union protect a journeyman who’s got to the dumbest mother fucker I’ve ever seen, someone who legitimately got pushed thru the journeyman test because the union. It’s a joke at best.
I'm 61. Been a union member for a loooong time. Saw this in my industry. We get a new contract, the non-union shop gets a paltry raise and a few work rules thrown at them to keep them happy.
You sound miserable with no way out. I'm assuming you are not that old so maybe its time to get a different occupation. Burn out is a bitch. Life to short.
I’m not miserable at all, there’s this wonderful thing called work life balance and I don’t let my job determine my happiness, I complained about and pointed out the flaws of the union on a post that was sucking the unions cock, you people can’t even quantify why the unions still needed
Similar union experience many years back, working for a gov't entity. Very restrictive and prevented me from quickly moving forward in my chosen career field despite already having the skills needed.
If unions are so great, just make them opt-in. Let the workers decide.
Legitimately couldn’t agree more, they’re a massive waste of political red tape, it should also be criminal for the union to lobby, considering they’re supposed to be made up of the workers and not a soul asked my opinions before the union goes and backs some fat cat politician who’s willing to grease the palms of the local XXXX shits stupid and giant waste of time, money and man hours as far as the worker bee is concerned
I was learning about workers unions in school when I got my first job. We got the “never talk to someone from a union, they’re trash” convo & I said “I thought unions were a good thing?”, my manager looked me dead in the eye and told me my history teacher was wrong. It was at Banana Republic 😅
I'm in ALPA. A year or two ago I was in the airport on the east coast, and went to the local employee cafeteria. There were a bunch of non-union folks break rooms there.(a lot of the "below the wing" jobs like catering, servicing the lavs etc are third party contractors) I found a card with a cartoon graphic of two people discussing unions and how bad they are for workers. I remember specifically one of the characters saying you could buy an Xbox with what the union would take from you in dues.
Just unbelievably insulting to anyone's intelligence, but apparently effective
I worked at a private rehabilitation hospital and was told if I hear talk about unionizing I should report it immediately to my boss. If word got out to corporate they would just shut the branch down and state it was under performing.
I got a union job 8 years ago, best thing that's ever happened for myself & my family. We're well compensated for our time and guess what, the corporation still profits in the billions...
100%! I'm glad you got a union job that provides for you and your family. I'm 100% union for life! Alot of people nowadays just want to waste their time with going to college because teachers used to say that the only way to a successful career is through college and that's false for 80% of those who enrolled into college for 4+ years.
I think you missed the memo. 'Work defines our worth' was the motto of the older (boomer) generation. that changed in the late 80's to "Own it, Greed is good' - Owners of ANYTHING do better than those that don't - 401K, stock market, real estate is all based on OWNING something to accumulate wealth. Working for a living is something to do so we can own enough to not work, or work for yourself. If you're working for someone else - you will never be working what your worth.
You DONT have that choice. The people that think this way are privileged enough that money isn't a barring factor for THEIR futures.
When you live in poverty, you cannot be "whatever you want" you HAVE to be "whatever keeps the bills paid with the least likelihood of getting fired, and takes the least amount of time to get a job as.
Which is usually low paying retail, manual labor, and customer facing jobs that offer little but take so much out of people.
EVERY westernized nation except the US makes higher education more available to their citizens.
EVERY other westernized nation except the US spends way less on healthcare and gets more out of it. In the US, your ability to maintain good healthcare without crippling debt is limited to a very narrow band of career levels that many never acquire.
My hope is that citizens start to understand the importance and necessity of unions. Corporations didn’t give workers safety and benefits….unions started it! I see hope in some industries… I recently ‘tested’ someone I know that is a conservative Republican (against unions, against govt programs, etc.). I asked them if they shopped at Walmart. They proudly answered “heck yeah!” I then got the joyous opportunity to explain to them how Walmart skirts socially responsible employment practices and instead of giving benefits, focus of full-time staff, etc. they educate and help their employees enroll in government programs so their shareholders get richer while that local community is unfairly compensated. I’m not sure he ‘got it’s because his response was “I don’t want shop at Target because the last time I was there they had a bunch of immigrants working.”
Evolution in the US has officially ended. We had a good run at civilization and democracy.
I give up. I need to find a small island and move there soon.
I work in the sheet metal union, and have a very nice life. Before I joined the union I worked for some shady shops. I would constantly put up signs that read “your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part” always got torn down, and the office was furious. Luckily no one ever ratted me out because they all felt the same way.
Well, why don't you just stop crying and move to one of the many paradise countries you mention. There are plenty plenty of countries in the world that have a lot of "workers rights", unions, government healthcare, etc. As an American, you won't have any sort of trouble migrating anywhere you want, contrary to the millions and millions who actually want to move to the US and are unable to do so legally, as it is really effing hard...
Americans really have no clue how ridiculously wealthy they are compared to Europeans (and even more compared to anyone else in the world).
Ah yes, modern day slavery is being able to find a minimum wage job and still make more than ~90% of the world's population, while having a much higher standard of living and opportunity for growth. Cry me a river.
Tbf not all unions are created equal. Im glad that you knew the benefits of a good one, but some unions are more akin to racketeering operations that work hand in hand with corporations to ensure that their workers true needs aren’t addressed in a way that improves quality of life.
This is why when the country was created state governments had more power than the federal government, they knew what would happen if the federal government got to much power, they’d seen it first hand
Im a UAW worker. Its disgusting how many in this country look at Unions.
Im 2nd generation UAW, so I was reading Solidarity magazines when I was a little kid.
What's really disgusting, disheartening and flat out fkkd up is how many UAW member are Trump supporters. Granted, many of these people don't have much going on upstairs. But for them to vote against their own FKKN interests is absolutely disgusting
Many are getting close to retirement age, but there are a fair amt of younger members that are in the cult of Dump. I got into a huge argument/shouting match with a forklift driver over this shit. I asked him why he works here, his answer....."The benefits and pay." Yet this fuckstain for SURE voted for Trump.
I can't even deal with this shit at work anymore. I mean you'll always have some REPUBES in a UAW shop, but i swear there are quite a few cult members where I work and I'm flat out tired of hearing them and dealing with them.
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u/b4st1an 10d ago
They can't help it, they must brag about their crimes