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Erm, we'll let the man speak for himself.
(Via The Kyles Files)
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The stench of City Hall. No, it is not corrupt politicians or unwashed Aldermen.
Piss Poor Plumbin
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I guess he needs a job too...*groan*
This is great - with unemployment hovering at 10 percent nationally, we can all fight over maybe 1200 jobs. And with Mayor Daley caught up in scandal and mismanagement, now we don't have to worry about those things, because we can all fight each other over Wal-Mart instead. And aside from Howard Brookins getting big fat campaign contributions and street leather from the mega-corporation, the people of Chicago get a big fat bonus of increased racial tensions, especially in the form of pitting poor and underemployed blacks against a labor movement that they could benefit greatly from being a part of.
"... especially in the form of pitting poor and underemployed blacks against a labor movement that they could benefit greatly from being a part of."
I would ask what the labor movement, once all-powerful around these parts, has accomplished for this particular demographic thus far.
Personally, I hate Wal-mart, because I feel it can be very destructive to a community. But when I saw this group outside the Cell the other night and they asked me to sign their petition, I signed it. I decided that I didn't live in this neighborhood, and that it should be the decision of the people who do.
If you want to know what the labor movement has done for "this particular demographic" you need only look to workers at Jewel, Dominick's, janitors, security guards, the health care industry and the hotel industry in Chicago. Those are all jobs in which people of color (including poor blacks) have access to health care benefits, a retirement, steady raises and a voice on the job.
"The Union" (except for in the building trades) isn't an outside third party that steps in handles employment issues; it isn't about contracting out your HR department. Building a union is about being part of a democratic organization that is organized around the work that you do. Wal-Mart drags down wages in communities. If Rhymefest really cared about jobs in the community, he'd be working to bring more people into the apprenticeships in the building trades, and bring sustainable manufacturing jobs to the community.
Union bashing is a very quick way to identify where someone stands on a great many issues.
Unions gave this country a middle class. They've allowed millions of persons of color access to health care, education and better working conditions.
Unions aren't perfect. But relying on companies to police themselves? Yeah, that don't work out so well.
Well, I for one would like to thank Kevin Robinson here for devoting so much time to helping poor blacks and other minorities find apprenticeships in the building and manufacturing trades. I can't wait for a world where no one makes less than $30 an hour, and there is no need for employees in stores.
Also: Yeah the evil unions: Fuck you, Rhymefest. This isn't a bunch of Irish and Italian plumbers keeping your people out of work; it's the union that organized poor (and largely black) slaughterhouse workers in North Carolina.
If you have a realistic idea that would bring sustainable manufacturing jobs to any community, much less Chatham, in this particular era of history, I'd love to hear it. It's hard to bring more people into apprenticeships in the building trades when nobody's building.
I love ya 'Fest, but you're way off.
You can't claim the "El Che" mantle and then bash union workers.
believe it or not, a non-union job is better than unemployment
Can't you grow employment in unionized jobs (these apprencticeships in the building trades should fix everything, right?) and have retail employment at Walmart at the same time?
It's selfish and callous to try to block the creation of these 1,000+ Walmart jobs. Are unionized employers ready to hire all of these people in Chatham? If not, shut the hell up and let the people in this neighborhood decide, and maybe get work.