How the PRO Act Would EMPOWER Workers

Hosts: Ana Kasparian,

Cast: Ana Kasparian,

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Young Turk (n), 1. Young progressive or insurgent member of an institution, movement, or political party. 2. A young person who rebels against authority or societal expectations. (American Heritage Dictionary)

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[AruHanger]

If you listen to TYT and you want progressive change. Please join the DSA. Help us pass the Pro-act. Help us get progressives elected. Have conversations with your friends and family about why socialists have ideas that have to become law.

[ronoldcross]

Your argument regarding the incentive not to join a union is spot on. The Fed gov is in effect a "Right to Work" group of agencies. The unions fight hard, given the restrictions they are held to. And all the employees benefit.

[eliyahubenysrael]

This is excellent! I'll check out the Democratic Socialists of America. If they moved these senators, these folks got skills-and determination-they're on to something!

[randallthomas]

Speaking as a former Teamster Shop Steward, I am in favor of Right to Work laws. I first joined the Union while working at UPS, in a right to work state. And I joined after more than a year in the shop. When I went down to the Hall to join when I first hired the Business Rep pissed me off. he just started acting like I had to join, and this is what my dues would be. He didn’t even try to explain the benefits of membership.

My job was to load trucks at night, for the Drivers to take out the next day. I loaded for three drivers. Two of which were Shop Stewards. There was no shop steward for the crew and shift I worked, and the two Shop Stewards who I worked with, asked me if I’d be interested in taking it on. Their jaws nearly hit the ground, when I told them I wasn’t in the Union. After I explained why, they both laughed. After they explained the situation to the new Business Agent, he understood, ( they had fired his predecessor for a reason). And, he offered to waive all fees, if I wud Join and become the Shop Steward for the forty folks I worked with. I was he Shop Steward until I finished college and went off to a “real job”.

A better approach is open union laws. The employer can hire whose ever they want. And teh people they hire have the right to join the union if they want. Many States have laws allowing closed union shops. The employer hires only union members, and the union selects them. Which leads to a whole host of issues. When I worked for UPS in an open Union state, I had several coworkers, who moved there and went to work for UPS, solely to gain entry into the union. After two years, they were vested in the TEamsters, and could transfer locals. At that point they moved home.

[d-rocky]

I just wanted to say - I joined twitter in 2016 because I wanted to do *something* & i’m disabled so physically going out, marching wasn’t possible for me. I get Ana’s point about organizing being important, & it is, but for some, social media is all they can basically do. Especially if there aren’t local progressive groups in their area & they can’t drive. & while I was on Twitter, I made some real connections & even changed a few minds. Just...don’t discount activism on social media like it’s all just futile.

[hernandayolearyallda]

Would like a better explanation of how they flpped crazy joe manchin

[geraldfinn]

When the leadership of the RWDSU is on record moaning about "chasing your tail" when it comes to maintaining a chapter of the union where there is a high churn of employees, when the union was lTe to organising and engaging the community and getting leftie celebrities involved, I have to ask: did the union ACTUALLY WANT a chapter in Bessemer? Seems like the union just went through the motions and hung those Amazon workers out to dry. "There were more workers than er amticipated" was their excuse. Really? Do you not think that that's the first item on the agenda, knowing the size of your electoral?

So, please, stop blaming the workers for the failure of that Bessemer plant to unionised. They never stood a chance against Amazon when the union they wanted to join wasn't truly behind them.

Now, just to emphasise for the simple thinking folks, I am pro-union. I was not always so - in my 20s I hated unions with a passion - but my thinking has evolved with age and experience. But being pro-union doesn't prevent me from calling out a union that I see as being more interested in maintaining its own status than organising workers - who want to be part of the union -into a new chapter of it. It seems that this union is all about the plight of the workers - except when it is too difficult or too inconvenient to do so.

[gojobuddy]

These teacher’s unions have proven how they undermine our children’s education. 👎