Unions are stalling jobs growth

The other day, I past a small construction site. They were rebuilding a burned out home.

There were at most 6 or 7 workers - all non-union tradesmen who were doing a job

that would have taken many more union workers to accomplish the same thing at three or 

four times the cost.

So why does having a union with more workers not make sense. Because with union workers

the owner could not afford to re-build and the property would have stayed a burned out lot 

for years. 

But there is more to this scenario. The union was picketing this small construction project.

This put these few tradesmen out of work for weeks at a time. Every now and then a cement

truck would arrive when the union picketing was absent and work would get done. 

When I asked the picketers why they are picketing, their answer was for better wages. Then I

asked why picket a non-union small personal project. Their answer was that: "They all had to 

stand together."  But I said they were not union and picketing would not affect the union's

negotiating plus stopping or delaying this project hurts other businesses that would supply the building materials for this project. Their answer; "We all have to stand together."

Then I tried another approach by asking isn't it better to have a job with current earnings than to be without a job for weeks or months because the union is picketing? They just shrugged and repeated

the party line.

What do you think? You, the readers, must have an opinion. Lets hear from you. And please be polite.

Non- polite or vulgar e-mails will be deleted. 

And that's the way I see it...

Straight Talk with Jay Clifford