image from IMDb.com
Union, Union
“What’s wrong? Easy. One--working conditions are
bad. Two--they’re bad because the mob does the
hiring. Three--things will not improve until we stop
the mob from getting away with murder .”
--Karl Malden: ON THE WATERFRONT.
We celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in
September. Oregon was the first state to do so
in 1884. Summer unofficially has closure. Children
have to return to the regiment of public education.
We anticipate the first Monday in October when
the Supreme Court reconvenes, as RBG attends;
hurrah.
Sadly, labor unions can be a blessing or a curse.
In 1900, we worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.
We didn’t see an 8 hour day until 1916. Like in a
bad marriage, we believe that we can’t do without
them, or we’d be at the mercy of heartless greedy
employers. Yet Jimmy Hoffa, and others, have
shown us how to corrupt unions. The mob can get
involved. Too often worker’s pensions have been
stolen or dissolved. Strikes are called, and terrible
violence can erupt led by bought thugs and cops.
We are forced back to work without much gain, if
any.
Add to that the civil servants are prohibited to
strike, as a teacher, after several strikes, there was
no cost of living raise for a decade. Today, modern
technology, CGI, AI, and robotics are replacing
millions of workers--not the immigrants recently
arrived. I fear the 21st Century may be the death
knell for labor unions. Labor Day parades will be
done by robots and androids.
Hawks atop hotels,
find plenty of pigeons to
use as daily prey.
Glenn Buttkus
Haibun
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub
10 comments:
It is already happening in some companies but have to admit, labor has made many gains despite the corruption and greed. I can see that hawk preying here too.
This is a compelling write Glenn.
Indeed, Glenn. I shudder to think, but I fear you may be right. Public Unions, like the teacher's unions, are among the last standing--and we're outgunned by the array of anti-union forces set against us.
Your haiku complements your prose brilliantly!
Good haibun and I fear you are right about the unions dwindling.
Lol. If you can find a robot that can cook, have at it. Maybe up north whete the Mafia rules will the unions dwindle. Plus, some of the best cooks in restaurants are equadoran, Mexican, and other countries from South America. So much for immigrants!
The history of labor in this country has had its struggles. Abuse of labor has run wild until checked by unions. Then the unions began taking advantage of their role to profit from the workers. It is a tough situation, especially here in NC.
I see so many differences between the UK and the USA, but one huge similarity is the existence of people who take advantage of workers. We have had several cases where workers’ pensions have been stolen or dissolved; the best example of this is pension plunderer Robert Maxwell. We haven’t had a strike for years but, if Boris Johnson continues to push ahead with a no-deal Brexit, it’s going to happen. As a teacher, I did go on strike several times, but things never really improved. Your prediction of Labor Day parades being done by robots and androids is chilling.
A powerful write, Glenn. Unfortunately, there is a dark side to some unions' activities!
I do think that unions have worked better in some places than in other... Not that it has always gone smoothly but mostly it has been a very balanced process here... Many times the unions today are taking a constructive approach in the management to the company today... which makes some things so very easy to solve.
Unions do seem to be dwindling. This is an important piece, Glenn. Your haiku was positively in sync with your writing.
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