The Capital Courier -
Labor Protests
Response was quick and direct to Prime Minister Mobley's deficit fighting plan. It is clear that there will be strong opposition to her plans. Whether this opposition is strong enough to derail the plan is unclear, yet opposition clearly exists.
In the streets of Franklin City, a massive 100,000-strong worker rally was held. The protest, mirroring those occurring in Ireland, was a clear show of force for organized labor. The protest was organized by the Franklin Workers Alliance, the nation's second largest union, which represents many public sector employees. According to press releases, the union's goal was to provide a warning shot to the prime minister that organized labor was not going to willingly let its members see their incomes cut.
"We understand the government's financial crisis and the growing economic crisis facing our nation. Yet, it is blatantly unfair to ask the men and women who serve this country to give up their financial stability. How does cutting the wages of some 300,000 workers help the economy? This may cut the deficit but will only worsen the deteriorating economic problems of our country. We will not stand by and watch our members' ability to support their families cut for the sake of the deficit."
The union's political goals are clear. Not only was this protest a warning to the current prime minister but is also a signal to the new political parties that organized labor is a force to be dealt with in the upcoming election. It has also become clear that other labor organizations, including the National Workers Union (the nation's largest union), may join the political battle.
Story: Similar protests in Ireland
Division concerning withdraw plans
On Friday, the prime minister announced her plans to begin a withdraw plan from Iraq. The goals are clearly in line with the prime minister's political philosophy and her desire to correct the growing deficit problem. Yet, it is clear that opinions within the military are divided. It is certainly true that some military officials would like to see a continuation of current operations, which are in support of the U.S. military. However, it is also clear that there is growing concern within the military community over the strain the current mission is having on their institution. Any withdraw plan will have to reconcile the divergent military opinions.
Story: U.S. also considering withdraw from Iraq
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3 comments:
The ReaganKnights believe that labor unions have become too powerful and are partly responsible for our current economic crisis. It is ironic that in the United States, the only place where unions are outlawed is Washington, D.C., because lawmakers claim that if their staffs were unionized, it would impede their work. Well, duh! What do they think unions do? We will not tolerate their schemes.
The Fanatical Party considers organized labor as the backbone of the Franklin States of America. The Franklin Worker Alliance rally was justifiable and necessary under the current circumstances. This plan to cut worker’s wages is not what this country needs to help with economic turmoil. This same group has been hit the hard in these tough economic times. By cutting the wages of organized labor, consumption in the middle class would plummet. This would only further hurt our economy. Middle class consumption is a strong determining factor in the health of an economy. Also if this plan is anything like that in Ireland, the plan comes amid revelations of shady dealings and irresponsible lending at the banks now getting the taxpayers’ help. The Fanatical Party does not support this plan and recognizes organized labor’s need for economic relief.
Team PAPI believes, like many labor unions, in a better and more efficient working environment, though many labor unions have lately turned sour. With indirect, but potent experience with labor unions, I have concluded that the mere threat of a labor union is greater than a labor union itself since many managers do not want to deal with the unions. We support productive unions, unions that do not interfere with the working environment so long as that environment is safe and fair. Efficiency depends much on whether the employees are happy and by cutting their wages, employees will not be happy, in turn creating an inefficient working environment. With an efficient, fair, and safe working environment not only do you reduce companies' turnover rate but create a much happier atmosphere.
Though we cannot force companies to keep their same wages, we can, with the passage of a stimulus package, provide tax cuts to individuals promoting them to spend money on companies who are fighting to stay alive. This will reduce the need for any type of wage cuts, or jobs cuts for that matter. The reason we would not give tax cuts to the companies themselves is because what the companies really need is more business. And like I said, individual tax cuts can provide that business. Only through the passage of a stimulus package can we work with the FWA or any other labor union in order to save wages and create jobs. The deficit is a major problem, but is only a problem that can be repaired after our economy is stable. In order to decrease the deficit, you must raise taxes, something that cannot be done with the current unemployment rate at 7.8%.
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