Nicholas Kristof: Like many Americans, I’ve been wary of labor unions. ... I was wrong.

[pampango]

The Cost of a Decline in Unions

Most studies suggest that about one-fifth of the increase in economic inequality in America among men in recent decades is the result of the decline in unions. It may be more: A study in the American Sociological Review, using the broadest methodology, estimates that the decline of unions may account for one-third of the rise of inequality among men.

I’ve also changed my mind because, in recent years, the worst abuses by far haven’t been in the union shop but in the corporate suite. One of the things you learn as a journalist is that when there’s no accountability, we humans are capable of tremendous avarice and venality. That’s true of union bosses — and of corporate tycoons. Unions, even flawed ones, can provide checks and balances for flawed corporations.

Many Americans think unions drag down the economy over all, but scholars disagree. American auto unions are often mentioned, but Germany’s car workers have a strong union, and so do Toyota’s in Japan and Kia’s in South Korea. In Germany, the average autoworker earns about $67 per hour in salary and benefits, compared with $34 in the United States. Yet Germany’s car companies in 2010 produced more than twice as many vehicles as American companies did, and they were highly profitable. It’s too glib to say that the problem in the American sector was just unions.

He’s right. This isn’t something you often hear a columnist say, but I’ll say it again: I was wrong.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/nicholas-kristof-the-cost-of-a-decline-in-unions.html?_r=0

It is too bad that Kristof ever thought that unions were the problem. To reverse the trend more people are going to have to change their minds and come the same conclusion that he expresses in the article.

[closeupready]

1. "I was wrong." Wow. Good on you, Kristof. Hard to admit so publicly, but

you gotta respect it when someone does it. K&R

[ND-Dem]

37. Hitler says: "I was wrong about the Jews." I don't buy Kristof's conversion. He does what

his masters tell him to.



Nicholas Kristof argues that sweatshops are, if not a good thing, then defensible as a way for workers to improve their lives and for impoverished countries to transform themselves into industrial economies. In this argument, sweatshops are an unpleasant but necessary stage in industrial development. Kristof is critical of the way "well-meaning American university students regularly campaign against sweatshops"...

In a 2011 New York Times op-ed, Kristof wrote that he is "not a fan" of teachers' unions[48] because he maintains that unions encourage teachers to accept low wages in return for job security (future seniority benefits, pensions, and protection from arbitrary dismissal).

He feels that such protections have the effect of protecting bad teachers, who then have to be fired for cause – a time-consuming, drawn out process – rather than being subject to being summarily fired at will.[49]

Instead, Kristof advocates that teachers give up these rights and protections in exchange for receiving much higher average starting salaries. He suggests that instead of the current figure of $39,000 for teacher starting salaries, entering teaching salaries start at $65,000, a figure which he believes will have the effect of attracting and retraining more talented individuals to the profession.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Kristof


Kristof's writings typically support putting the power in the hands of the ownership class, which is the class that owns *him*. And he has some pretty specific owners.

[tech3149]

2. I say welcome to the party

Kristoff, like most of the US is the subject of decades of anti-union propaganda. I'm glad he is finally starting to wake up but I have to ask what took so long?
I like Hartmanns description of unions as democracy in the workplace.
I just wish more union members took it seriously enough to dump self serving leaders before they can damage the membership.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

5. Maybe this epiphany will open his eyes in other areas too.

We can only hope.

[randys1]

3. So your European car laborer makes TWICE what your American one does

And yet, american working people hate unions.

The propaganda and lies and brainwashing are amazing

Go ahead right now and ask the first ten people you see what they think of unions, I bet at least 7 of them say something negative.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. How many Red Staters read the NYT?

If this story hit Drudge then the Trailer Park Crowd would see truth to power.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

7. You can bet your bottom nickel Drudge won't pick up on this one.

[LittleGirl]

6. Baby Steps: I'll take 'em n/t

[unionthug777]

8. i am a union member

and proud of it !!!!

unions !!!

[calimary]

14. So am I! Glad to see this awakening.

It's hard to admit when one is wrong. Even harder to do so in a public forum as large as Kristof's. I'm glad he did. I hope it isn't just one napper waking up. It's about time SOMEONE started recognizing that unions are NOT the big bad wolf - as they've been portrayed. If anything, unions were responsible for keeping the big bad wolf from blowing the house down.

[wolfie001]

16. Me makes three!!!!

[druidity33]

29. UFCW worker present! nt.

[ProfessorPlum]

9. No shit, idiot

Jesus, this guy has a platform to write an influence people at the NYT, and he just now figured this out? Any unbiased consideration of the rise and fall of labor (and concomitant standard of living) in the US over the last 100 years points clearly to unions and strong labor policies as being directly linked and responsible for the golden age of the US worker, now long past.

The evidence is quite plain, and I'm just a 44 year old scientist, studying and thinking about these trends as a minor interest.

our elites are terrible. They are paid to be ignorant and coddled and cosseted lest they upset the apple cart of the truly rich.

Yes, NK, unions bring better living conditions. Now go back and write some more, you fool.

[TBF]

11. Thank you - that's exactly what I was thinking.

My dad was in a union back in the 60s/70s. We painted strike signs with him and also toured the new factory when it opened. He was always proud of his place of work but he also realized that they had no bargaining power without the union. He would tell my siblings and I about the sketchy things unions did (we were just north of Chicago - the unions in the paper mills of Wisconsin in particular were very powerful) but he said without them the workers wouldn't have a chance.

[whathehell]

31. Same here,

maybe a little earlier..My Dad actually helped start a union back in the '40s, and

when my sister and I were growing up in the 50's and 60's, virtually ALL blue collar

workers were union, except, perhaps in the South.

My family continues to be amazed at the inanity of working people against unions.

[ND-Dem]

36. I doubt he's in earnest about it. He's been corrupt for too long. I suggest an ulterior motive.

[maddiemom]

50. Well, better late than never.

[ibewlu606]

10. 1 convert at a time.

Unfortunately, most American workers have to hit rock bottom before they see the benefits of joining a union........myself included. Once they join though, it is a life changing experience for the better.

[calimary]

15. Welcome to DU, ibewlu606!

Glad you're here! What you said is key. Many Americans have to hit rock bottom before they wake up. It's a shame. ralph nader once made that point, too, using it to justify his reasons for wanting to run for president. Something along the lines of - "it's going to have to get REALLY bad in this country for America to wake up and change." Paraphrasing here, but that was the gist of it. Not that I'm excusing ralph nader at all, but his point was worth arguing. However - in the Real World, seems as though it's gotten pretty damn bad and we still don't have a great awakening yet. Kristof is good. But he's only one voice. At least he shouts from a tall platform. Now - the question will be - is anybody listening?

[renate]

39. welcome to DU!

[polynomial]

12. Some Union Officals Are Abusive

However, some Union officials are complicit, corrupt, and abusive looking only to be elevated to management company positions through loyalty programs.


The special thing about Unions, are the natural resonance to the first Amendment.

The citizen has the right to assemble peacefully.

The citizen has the civil right to list their grievance and submit it to the government for resolution.

The citizen has the right to free speech.

The citizen has the right to publish unabridged – not censured.

Freedom as to what one believes in, especially life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and whatever religion.

Very, very life giving progressive, liberal rules documented for over two hundred years but denounced by mainstream media hate radio Limbaugh or Hannity and Republicans.

Anyone who rejects the Union is ditching their rights to the Constitution.

Anyone who denounces the items just mentioned is antithetical to the basic function of that amendment and of the basic operation of the government.

To shut down the government is to terminate the first amendment. That’s treason.

It’s a shame and a terrible situation from personal experience with the United Transportation Union, except a few, some manipulate people and rules to their advantage corrupting the system. Good reason the Railroad Industry is lagging in technology, training, and safety.

[ybbor]

13. I used to be extremely anti-union

I grew up in Flint, MI and was very anti-union in my views until just the past 10 years or so. I saw how people I knew abused the unions: we would be drinking in a bar near a shop and they would have to leave to punch out for break, then return 20 minutes later after punching back in. This happened often, so I was pretty disgusted by their actions.

I believe that the UAW in Flint may have just become too strong, but I now realize that the GM folks played a role in their growth as well.

It really wasn't until I lived out west with a guy who worked in the film industry, and heard his stories of how they would take advantage of those workers, that I first began to see their benefits, but still with a very skeptical eye.

Then I was introduced to Mr. Thom Hartmann because of listening to Al Franken, who led into Thom's show. Needless to say I learned a lot about the union idea that I never really knew. And this is from someone who grew up in the home of the "sit down strike".

I now am very pro-union. I support all union members and their causes. I guess better late then never.

[calimary]

18. At least you woke up. And that's a VERY good thing!

May many others follow in your footsteps. People who actually care about the well-being of workers in America NEED to get solidly behind unions. This "right to work (for less)" movement is just bullshit.

[wysi]

32. Glad you saw the light

My dad was the recording secretary for UE Local 212 for many years from the 1960s to the 1990s (a period encompassing two major strikes), and only stopped when the plant was closed after being sold (no surprise there). When I was a kid he gave me a copy of the book Labor's Untold Story to read. I in turn highly recommend it also.

http://www.amazon.com/Labors-Untold-Story-Adventure-Betrayals/dp/0916180018

[seabeckind]

44. I don't understand why your anecdote would result in anti-union.

An individual was stealing from the company.

His boss did not stop it. It seems to me that the problem was with the mgmt culture in that company. Not the union.

Was the situation brought to light and did the union support the thief? I suspect neither of these.

IMO the union would have gladly helped to fire that thief -- not defend him -- because he was reflecting on the good workers. Seems more like it was a collusion between the union admin and the company. How many union admins moved into the company after the union was gone?

There may have been problems with unions but it wasn't at the worker level or those immediately above the worker. The union "officials" suffered from the same mgmt culture disease as the company.

[ybbor]

51. It was a culture in the town that ran deep

He was far from the only person who did it. And the union did know it as happening. I knew of people who could not be fired even after multiple offenses. The union was so string. Why do you think GM left the town they were founded in?

The culture seeped into the trades' unions as well. You could get written up for working too hard! "Making the rest of us look bad." "You can't sweep up that mess! That's my job."

I saw it all the time. Far from one anecdote.

And as I said, the management was complicit in the nurturing of this environment. They could have never envisioned that they would not always be on top.

Flint had it great for a very long time! Due to GM and their high tax base, from the company and the workers, but then it all went to hell! Went from the highest per capita income in the world in the 50s-70s, to the most dangerous city in the nation.

I put a lot of the blame on GM's management, but also a lot on the union.

But like I said, I now understand that unions have helped out everyone, whether in a union or not. The executives benefitted, the engineers, the store owners, everyone. And we need the unions to come back so that we can close the gap. But a lot of corrupt folks have soured the feeling about them. I hope I am not the only one who can come to see the light.

[maddiemom]

49. Around the 1970s the unions reached their strongest point.

As is sadly typical of human nature, things went too far, as typified by your experience with UAW members. The steelworkers had higher paychecks than many professionals and outstanding benefits. Not the easiest or safest industrial job, I know, but even with the mineworkers, things had vastly improved and rightfully so, in terms of safety, pay and benefits. Having some "old time" miners in my family, who knew, either from their fathers or earlier experience, how it was before and during the fight for a union, I know most were disgusted by the younger men coming along because if these "kids" threw out their water (call for a strike) because it was a nice day and they wanted off, the older guys, by tradition, had to follow, and didn't want to lose the pay. Many college graduates were not making nearly the money. As a teacher at the time, I had kids tell me "Why go to college? I can quit school tomorrow and make more money than you." As is also sadly typical, rather than feeling that laborers deserved what they were earning, but a further education should also be rewarded, a building resentment resulted. We're seeing a predictable similar result today. Divide and conquer: will the 90 percenters ever learn?

[valerief]

17. Look who's come with medicine after the patient is dead.

You and your paper helped kill the patient by being a tool of the oligarchs. Whatever you say now is meaningless.

[freshwest]

30. +1

[wolfie001]

19. Good to see someone countering all the anti-Union propaganda! eom

[ND-Dem]

35. unfortunately the same guy who slung the anti-union propaganda for decades

[JDPriestly]

20. Good article. Lots of facts. K&R.

[Skittles]

21. yeah yeah thanks but

WTF is WRONG with people who CANNOT SEE THE OBVIOUS until there's no plausible way to avoid SEEING THE OBVIOUS

[muntrv]

22. Blaming the workers is an excuse to hide the fact that

managerial incompetence is what destroyed the business.

[Enthusiast]

26. It made management's job very easy for decades.

Right wing radio propaganda assisted them.

I lived it. I watched it happen right before my eyes. One bad managerial decision after another—but it was always the union's fault.

[Enrique]

23. I smell a rat

he without explanation excludes public sector unions from his change of heart, when that is where the current battle is raging.

I can forsee columns from Kristof joining in the attack on public unions. This column could be him setting himself up as appearing pro-labor.

I remember that Kristof started attacking disability benefits right when the right-wing started their major offensive on that front.

[Enthusiast]

25. Kristof is a complete pos weasel. Not to be trusted.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[ND-Dem]

34. +100 he's a stooge if there ever was one.

[leftstreet]

45. +1

[Enthusiast]

24. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

Wake the fuck up, people!

Also remember, the unions are against these horrible fucking trade deals.

Past trade deals are why this nation is in decline.

There are two primary reasons the nation is in decline.

1) Trade deals

2) Supply side economics (trickle down)

[Thinkingabout]

27. It was total victory for me when Republican husband finally admitted the good

Unions do and since I was a steward for many years he understood my work as a steward.

[WDIM]

28. Democracy and equality in the work place! nt.

[ND-Dem]

33. gee, thanks you dumb fuck. a bit late, don't you think, now that unions are at less than

10% and pensions and benefits are being stolen right and left and wages are dropping?

you sorry excuse for a "journalist". you tame lapdog of the rich.

[Marr]

38. I don't believe this is sincere-- I'm waiting for some other political shoe to drop.

If the right-wing has any one ideal in common, it's destroying unions. That's been true for over a century, and across borders.

And really, if any media figure was going to make such a fundamental about-face in the name of intellectual honesty, Kristof is very literally one of the last I'd expect. He's a propagandist.

[ND-Dem]

40. definitely a propagandist and in the pockets of some people that have names.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Kristof

[malaise]

41. They're all waking up

Ah well

[KG]

42. fi you read closely, you see this is not really an epiphany, barely counts as a limited hangout.

[1StrongBlackMan]

43. Posted to for later

[Spitfire of ATJ]

46. Americans used to equate Unions with the Mafia....

The days of Jimmy Hoffa are long gone.

[valerief]

52. Jimmy Hoffa vs. Scott Walker. Which is worse? nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

53. I just had a vision of Walker....

He's having the bag pulled off his head and finds himself tied to a chair in an empty warehouse down by the waterfront.

(I spent WAY too much time with Teamsters).

[valerief]

54. That image brightened my day! :)

[Spitfire of ATJ]

55. I like to picture Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz that way too.

[valerief]

56. Only also with flesh-eating bugs eating them from the inside out.

[Orsino]

47. Kristof starts awake from a thirty-year nap.

He wasn't even wrong. He was "wary" of unions for no particular reason, unless perhaps corporate influence was being whispered in his ears.

He wasn't wrong; he was completely fucking blinded.

[Populist_Prole]

48. Nice to hear: But a decade late and hundred dollar bill short

When we tried to say the same thing decades ago we were told to shut up and trust the what they now call "job creators".