This country hasn't had a need for unions since the early 20th century. We really don't know how good we have it. We really really don't.
That's not true, and I can I speak from experience. I worked for the two largest telecom carriers in the country - Verizon and AT&T.
AT&T is unionized. I had job security, a raise every year, a training program where I flew all expenses paid to Dallas and stayed at their corporate office for 3 weeks, an outstanding PTO and benefits package, and representation for any discipline - the kind of job with those increasingly rare great benefits the Baby Boomers told us about (that THEY got) when we were growing up and putting ourselves into debt for in school.
At Verizon, I was paid 35% less in salary, had no job security, a less efficient training regimen, and a much more bureacratic atmosphere where morale was in the toilet. Turnover was high. They lost millions of dollars when 40,000 people went on strike. On the 2nd day of training, Verizon did a powerpoint presentation addressing the elephant in the room that was the protests going on over the union. The message was "We're a great company, and we don't think you need a union. Next slide." It lasted all but 20 seconds and wasn't received well. The reputation of this slimy company is no secret.
Unions would stop companies like this from outsourcing our jobs, which is a hallmark of the Trump presidency btw.
Now I know that liking your job and feeling secure isn't a right, because in this country if you're not suffering at work you're not making an honest living. We are a very masochistic culture when it comes to work, even when it comes to cashiers and tellers. They stand in one place for 8 hours to "look professional", and develop chronic, long term back and feet problems, whereas in Europe they sit. It's that stupid old "got time to lean, got time to clean" mentality.
And this is where you're wrong about "how good we have it". Do we have it good on the world stage? Sure, with some third world countries like India having rampant poverty, and some 2nd world countries like Spain having upwards of 20% unemployment. But in terms of the first world, we're lagging behind the rest of the world. In Europe there are countries moving to a 4 day work week, their employees are treated humanely (as I explained above), and many countries over there offer 4-6 weeks paid holiday - 2x3 more than we typically do.
Saudi fvcking Arabia offers parents better paternity leave than we do.
Now, I'll explain the minimum wage yet again.
The minimum wage does not pay people enough to live on. It just doesn't, and somebody (usually YOU) get to make up the difference. People making $9 in New York can barely afford a bus pass, much less rent. Ignoring totally the moral perspective that I think Christians should have a better grasp on, from a PURELY economic standpoint
YOU will subsidize the difference in taxes instead of the large corporation because these people
WILL continue to get on welfare. The notion that it eliminates jobs is mostly theory. It could very will be true for little local ma and pa shops just getting by, but it just doesn't hold water for these large corporations making record profits. Cutting those jobs is purely optional and mainly an issue of spite.
I know this forum is a conservative fraternity, and I'm with you guys on the war on white people, Islam, and feminism, but for crying out loud, on this issue you guys are an extreme minority. Approximately 20% of the country is against raising the minimum wage. The "free market" is a euphemism for corporate fascism when you've got people working a full-time job that can barely eat. Even center-right commentators like Bill O'Reilly are on board with a $10 an hour minimum wage. Donald Trump has conceded on the point too.
