Looting The Future: Union Bosses Violate Spirit If Not Letter Of The Law
Openmarket.org
Hostess’ union-induced shutdown captures the essence of the modern labor movement–more anti-employer than pro-worker. Workers are taking notice of unions’ negative impact on employers, for example, the loss of jobs in the auto, airline, and steel industries — and now at Hostess.
As a result of union bosses’ self-interest trumping the well-being of its beneficiaries or law, private sector unionization has dropped to an all-time low of 6.6 percent. This statistic should not be shocking when considering the conduct of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers union (BCTGM) officials, who represented 5,000 Hostess workers, throughout the bankruptcy proceeding that put the company’s 18,500 workers out of a job just in time for the holidays.
Since January when Hostess filed for bankruptcy, BCTGM officials drew a line in the sand — no concessions — even if that meant all their members would become unemployed and even if it was the several hundred union-negotiated wage, benefit, and work rules that factored greatly into Hostess’ demise.