this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2023
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
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Ya you clearly don’t get it. The economy is already destroyed for poor people. You can’t wreck what is already destroyed. Since the economy is already destroyed for poor people the next step is pulling the rich down with us and making them bleed.
Literally no member of the UAW is poor.
UAW members being poor doesn't really play any importance here in my opinion - if we were to use this way of thinking for protests, restricting them to only those directly affected/impacted by the subject of said protest, IMO there would either be no change or things could get violent.
If anything, you as a person in authority could easily silence the whole problem at that point by wiping out the protesters.
I think it is better for the people who care to do something, regardless of whether they are affected or not, since the alternative is for society's most exploited people taken advantage of even more
What specifically are you doing?
Because I don't see a broken economy anywhere. I see people not voting locally, so housing prices in their area skyrocket. I see people not campaigning, so we never hit a critical mass of Congresspeople to effect national change. I see people born with silver spoons in their mouths invoking "class solidarity" while telling me that it is literally impossible to live on even 150% of the median income.
So, what specifically are you, yourself, doing?
One of the only MOPs in my village's local authority meetings.
Use public transport as I'm against overdependence on cars - it's futile because cuts are made anyway, and combined usage costs as much as owning a car to begin with. The buses are very comfortable and air conditioned though 👍
Voting for a difference, but the status quo stays the same because everyone here is being fed the same sweet talk by a government that has said on the record that they are not interested in building new housing while there is an ongoing shortage.
Taking part in temporary government funded schemes, set up with the intent to collect feedback guiding future areas of expenditure.
And much more.
It's all a waste of time though, nothing changes as a result. I say the UAW have got the right idea for going for what will hurt the most. People living paycheck to paycheck deserve better than this, or even worse, those stuck in endless debt. Last year the energy costs around here were equivalent to buying a new PS5 every month.
We can can shout all we like into the echo chamber here about possible solutions - but is the everyday voter even educated about how any of the existing institutions work? Asking people on an online internet forum what they are doing in their community, in an elitist condescending tone, does nothing to further this IMO. A union doing things like this, is everything that does.
You're doing great! More people should be like you.
This is a hard fight, but the end goal is just to keep working on persuading these people. Power happens locally.
Strong disagree. Online memes are not action, and through action we fix problems. If even one person stumbling by becomes more active, it's worth calling out the people who are not.
No one's getting involved because you're being an asshole online. You're high on the smell of your own shit.
The Velcro thing hit a little close to home, eh?
It's okay, I'm for raising taxes to pay for you.
Way to 100% miss the point of the person you're replying to in an conniving attempt to undermine their point without actually debating.
Truly awful!
Don't be dumb. This wasn't a debate. This was me calling out bullshit responses.
Literally all you had to do was scroll down one comment to watch me metaphorically high-five OP.
Literally takes less effort to read the conversation than it does for you to Velcro your shoes or put on your helmet before you walk outside.
You need a lesson in economics. Is $32 billion better in 100 people's hands or in the hands of 400,000 peoples hands? The Average UAM makes ~$64k a year, add in where these manufacturing plants are that's not enough for a single individual to live within driving distance to work. The auto makers could give every unionized work a $40k a year raise and still have $16billion in profits!
Median income in Wayne Michigan is just under half that, at 27k. It's absurd to suggest "a single individual" cannot live there on a UAW salary.
UAW provides great salaries and benefits (and continues to do so, with this strike) and suggesting UAW members are impoverished discredits the union.
Idk where you're getting $32B from. Ford has $42B cash-on-hand and while you don't went to spend even most of that, I agree that it can be better allocated as pay/benefits up to a point.
Median income isn't a metric for cost of living. And definitely doesn't mean the workers who actually made the cars shouldn't get paid more. $27k a year just means there are hundreds of thousands of workers in Michigan that need to strike as well. (Regardless of they are unionized.) no one is arguing for workers to be paid more than their errands. Or economy is failing because money is pooling in few and few hands. And those few hands are lying about there not being enough to go around or just because someone flipping burgers doesn't deserve to make enough to feed themselves and their families.
Median income is absolutely indicative of cost of living because people do in fact live in Wayne MI. I know it is crazy to you that some people make so much less than your parents, but I promise they do and they are alive.
The rest of your post is meaningless and unrelated to the topic.