2008 Woodie Awards
Labor unions do more harm than good
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Rocket Letters
To the editor:
In response to Lisbeth Wells-Pratt's opinion piece on labor unions (Ed.s note: Nov. 16's "More labor unions should take cue from Writers Guild of America"), I also encourage every labor union in the country to go on strike.
What we need in this country is more of an excuse to buy our goods and services from foreign companies. Every major labor union in this country has made their industry either sub-par or on the brink of nonexistence.
In Pennsylvania, the steel unions made our products too expensive and inferior to our Japanese and German counterparts, so as the market went where people's money was treated best, the American steel industry collapsed.
Other unions in the automotive industry, airlines, public transportation, education and government have made those businesses incapable of competing in the international market. Instead of offering competitive wages and low overhead costs, unions use government influence and taxpayers' money to keep their unprofitable industries alive.
The fact is that unions are a form of socialism, and socialism has been proven incapable of working in a large society. Workers deserve not to be abused and to be justly compensated. But in a free-market society, nobody tells you where to work for a living. If you don't like your job, get a new one.
The reason America is becoming less and less competitive with its foreign rivals is because of this growing sense of entitlement in our nation's younger generation.
So as unions continue to bully taxpayers into funding their socialist activities, the free market will continue to support Japanese cars, charter schools and Wal-Mart.
Ryan D. McGregor
Political science
Junior
In response to Lisbeth Wells-Pratt's opinion piece on labor unions (Ed.s note: Nov. 16's "More labor unions should take cue from Writers Guild of America"), I also encourage every labor union in the country to go on strike.
What we need in this country is more of an excuse to buy our goods and services from foreign companies. Every major labor union in this country has made their industry either sub-par or on the brink of nonexistence.
In Pennsylvania, the steel unions made our products too expensive and inferior to our Japanese and German counterparts, so as the market went where people's money was treated best, the American steel industry collapsed.
Other unions in the automotive industry, airlines, public transportation, education and government have made those businesses incapable of competing in the international market. Instead of offering competitive wages and low overhead costs, unions use government influence and taxpayers' money to keep their unprofitable industries alive.
The fact is that unions are a form of socialism, and socialism has been proven incapable of working in a large society. Workers deserve not to be abused and to be justly compensated. But in a free-market society, nobody tells you where to work for a living. If you don't like your job, get a new one.
The reason America is becoming less and less competitive with its foreign rivals is because of this growing sense of entitlement in our nation's younger generation.
So as unions continue to bully taxpayers into funding their socialist activities, the free market will continue to support Japanese cars, charter schools and Wal-Mart.
Ryan D. McGregor
Political science
Junior
