Labor Pains
(Full Disclosure before you read, I am an independent contractor with the Indianapolis Star for the monthly column that I write.)
This week I saw about 100 people, some of them I know very well, take to the picket lines over at the Indianapolis Star to protest working conditions, cut backs and outsourcing of jobs to Kentucky. Now with my general dislike and distrust of unions as well as my support of right to work legislation, I am probably going to cause a lot of you cardiac arrest and say “God Bless Em! for protesting” You can pick yourself up off the floor anytime.
You may find this hard to believe, but I have never had a problem with people deciding to come together and collectively bargain if they think their is strength in solidarity. What I have a problem with is individuals being compelled to join a union or pay dues. With the Star’s Newspaper Guild, no one is compelled to join, however, membership has increased steadily over the years, because the employees see a value in the Guild and the Star’s parent company, Gannett, has done a few things to motivate people to join. And I can’t say 100% that if I were in the same set of circumstances as my fellow print media brothers and sisters that I would not have given serious thought to joining if I thought it was in my best interest to do so and I thought we could get results. I would do what I thought was in my best interests. And if I figured my best interest were in being part of the Guild, I’d sign up in a heartbeat.
I am told the Wednesday protest has already gotten some positive results as the tone of the conversations between labor and management have improved. Maybe it was the threat of a strike or maybe the threat of the Guild going to the Star’s advertisers, whatever it was someone got results. And if a union can get results and clearly demonstrate to the workers why it is valuable, the the union should have no problem getting people to join. And with respect to the “freeloader” argument, I have never understood why any group would make the conscious decision when it is formed to represent people who won’t pay dues. What business provides services for people who don’t pay for them, unless they are a not-for-profit?
This to me seems like a pretty simple premise. Provide people with a valuable service, reason to join and be relevant and reasonable and they will gladly sign up on their on accord. The Star’s Guild seems to realize that and maybe the rest of organized labor should follow their example. I know outgoing City-County Minority Leader Joanne Sanders and Nancy Guyott of the Indiana AFL-CIO were on the picket lines with the employees so maybe they took a hint.
Solidarity brothers!!!
