Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleLetter to the Editor:
Support U.S. workers by buying American
Monday, Sept. 7, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.
America’s union families are the real backbone of America’s stability. They provide the economic energy that fuels the network of enterprises that serves this society’s needs — from everyday goods and services to banking and finance, insurance, homebuilding, education, transportation and, in our town, gaming and entertainment.
Unions add value to our everyday life by setting the standards for adequate pay, benefits such as paid health care and retirement, safe working conditions and job site safety.
In recent years, very shortsighted and very greedy economic policies have led to the destruction of decent jobs in many U.S. communities as more and more employers send jobs overseas. Initially, manufacturers used the excuse of global competition to close their factories and move good middle class jobs overseas. That transformation has led to the near extinction of manufacturing in America.
America needs to wake up and realize that we cannot sustain our comfortable yet disappearing middle-class lifestyle if we cannot provide meaningful and decent jobs for our citizens.
One of the ways that we can reverse this terrible trend is by specifying a preference for union-made goods and services when we buy. That’s why the Union Label and Service Trades Department of the AFL-CIO observes “Union Label Week” from Labor Day through Saturday.
Asking for union-made goods and union-produced services is a great habit to form whenever you buy. It’s the best guarantee you will always be helping to keep another American job in America.
Good union employers should be rewarded and recognized for the commitment they made to their own workers and to the community because, by signing and abiding by a collective bargaining agreement, those principled employers are saying: “We respect our workers and the work that they do.”
Happy Labor Day! Thank a union member!
The writer is a member of Sprinkler Fitters Local 669.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
Everything Under the Sun
Blogs
The Kats Report
Las Vegas Philharmonic says search for new music director to begin 'immediately' (1 Comment)
With Shenandoah project stalled, Wayne Newton hits back legally (7 Comments)
Where does a Playmate play when she turns 21? Vegas! (3 Comments)
Ice Ice Billy
The road to six-toed cats and Mayor Bubba
The Kats Report
David Itkin tells L.V. Philharmonic officials he's on his way out (14 Comments)
Diamond Dave sells it well as Van Halen pours out the power at MGM Grand (2 Comments)
Entering debut at Tryst, Nick Hissom is a model for a rapid rise to prominence (3 Comments)
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
Todd I could no more than agree with you but you are about 15yrs too late. Thank our government and big business because they are the ones who have destroyed our manufacturing base by all of the outsourcing. Hence no jobs.
Union members are overpaid spoiled jerks. They have destroyed the auto industry, the steel industry, the construction industry, the rubber industry, the airlines industry to name just a few. I do virtually all my shopping at WalMart and a smaller non union grocery store. Any time I have any work done at my home I insure that the people doing it are non union. I also remember who donated millions during the last election to put the incompetent fool in the White House. Unions have severely damaged this country in the last 40 years and deserve no support from anyone.
In theory only. A lot is outsourced and "assembled" in the US.
Todd -- just remember what you said here next time you go to Wal-Mart.
Yes, buy American. If you want a car buy Ford. No purchases from Government Motors as they announce a $300 million investment in China? With your money.
yeh hey lets all work 4 wal-mart and the big casino companies makn minimum wage while they post million dollar profits every qtr
Just another self serving union worker wanting every but himself to buy american. I would like to know if his house was built 100% with union workers. I wonder if he even demanded his house be built with union trades. The problem is the labor union wants us to buy union without enforcing that their members only buy union. They talk the talk but do not walk the walk. If they can save a buck at Wall Mart or buy a non union constructed housing they do it, but complain that the rest of us are not doing our part. I say to union members to walk the walk. Oh I guess I will see you at K-mart.
I buy American made products as often as possible but try to avoid anything that smells of union made.
jlb101, I'm proud to be a spoiled jerk, if you may, because I make over 40.00/ hr, 80.00/ hr on weekends. I'll gladly be a apoiled jerk and know that I have got the best medical insurance going, I'll gladly be a spoiled jerk so when I retire I'm taken care of.
jlb101, why are you a spoiled jerk? Is it's because your are jealous of the union spoiled jerks?
I'm glad you decide to pay to have illegal aliens do the work you need at your house. Have you ever heard of aiding and abetting a criminal?
I'm glad you shop at Wal-Mart, every american citizen has a right to shop where they want.
I believe it was big business who donated millions of dollars to the incompetant fool who now holds office.
So it seems to me I'm a spoiled jerk with a future, you my man, are just a jerk!
I just really can't get too excited about buying "Union Made."
But, I do try to buy "American Made" which may include union made items and that is good.
It is interesting to see foreign made cars with a "union" sticker on it's rear bumper. Sometimes on the other side of the bumper is an "Obama for President" sticker...
fremmasmind-I doubt you are worth minimum wage, stupid people like you need unions, real men look out for themselves . I keep union people off my property because I don't want a loser like you around me. I don't need a future. I made my money early in life. I probably make more than you do and I don't even have to go to work any more. You have no future you are a complete union loser.
Tood:GREAT LETTER,WELL SAID
As a life long member of the TEAMSTERS UNION,I am in total agreement with Todd. My union brothers and sisters are among the hardest working people in this country. We work hard for
our company and our family. We may not be rich but our middle class income allows us to buy houses and cars to support country. As for cars, I only buy union made, American cars.
BUY AMERICAN
I am glad to hear you say that Mr. Teamster. If I could add one thought it would be to thank all the workers of the United States. I too only buy American made cars, motorcycles and beer.
wow, this is so retro.
is there anything that is made in america that is NOT made by a union?
if so, i'll buy it in bulk.
Way to go rush-puke-lickers! Buy all of that Wal-Mart sweat-shop crap!
To you jlb101
I wonder if your complete hatred of Union members extends to Police and Firefighters or does your hypocrisy just stick to us in the trades. By the way I'm quite sure that your accountant, stockbrocker and your attorney are all part of a union, only they call them Guilds.
Make sure to call the NON-UNION fire department when your house is on fire or when you need a cop ask if they can send the NON-UNION ones to your house.(they're called Walmart security guards.)
To you killerb,
I am more than proud to say that not one dime of my Union paycheck or my wife's union paycheck has ever been spent at any Walmart anywhere. My children won't shop there either, it's all about "Be American, Buy American" when you give your money to Communist China for all your daily needs, make sure you ask Beijing to take care of you in your old age because it won't be me. "DON'T MESS WHERE YOU EAT" good western advice.
I want to thank Local 4 of the IUOE for my monthly pension. I want to thank Henderson Nissan for my new Sentra, which was made in Mexico.
I want to thank MGM for completing City Center this year. I want to thank the unemployment office which will be swamped with Union workers for the next 6 months. I want to thank the lazy Union business agents who think that employing their buds is more important than helping workers with kids in upside down houses. And finally, I'd like to say "Au Revoir, Adios and Goodbye" to all the Union workers who will be leaving town soon, never to return. Best of luck in BF Egypt. You are all going to need it.
Byington. You are overlpaid and worthless. If it weren't for the union paying off politicians you would be paid what you are worth what is minimum wage. You screw a couple of pipes together which a chimp could learn to do and think you're great. You are not you are useless. I bet your family is ashamed of you. I could go near Home Depot and find a number of illegals who could do your job probably better than you do.
The bulk of Union membership these days is made of mostly government workers.
The unions have a high kill rate in about every other industry that they were in....ship builing, steel, airlines, etc.
I guess they have found an industry that they can't kill...yet.
Almost all clothing is foreign made. Not sure if not shopping at Walmart will help you there.
GM, Ford, Chyrsler have about as many offshore plants as they do in the USA. Nissan, Honda and other foreign carmarkers have USA plants.
It is funny. Unions hate foreign workers earning cheap wages because they claim it drives down wages but once those workers sneak into the USA illegally then the Unions just love, love, love them. Forget that it drives down wages here in the USA....dem illegals are Democrat votes.
"dem illegals are Democrat votes"
Did someone change the voting laws?
Anyone who really believes unions are good for this country, read this.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?i...... (the link)
Labor Unions on Health Care: Their True Motives... (the title)
by James Sherk
09/07/2009
When you read about unions campaigning for health care reform, remember they aren't doing so out of an altruistic pursuit of the common good. Most labor activists do believe that health care reform would benefit most Americans. But the billion-dollar payday they will collect if it passes helps motivate their impassioned efforts. ...(the last paragraph)
Wow! jlb101 sure is bitter tonight, isn't he? Wonder what has happened to him in the last day or so.....He reminds me of an old bear with a sore paw.....
Kind of like Dickiie Dirth. Nothing good to say about anything...
j1b101 hates liberals; he hates Democrats; he hates Obama; he hates unions; he hates progress; he hates.....he hates....he hates! Wow! That's a lot hate for just one hater!
jlb101 is probably up-set because his "favorite president" is giving a speech tomorow to his kid, and he's afraid that his kid will actually do some thinking on his own and decides that the advice given him by our president is worth following....
Yep, that's enough to make a hater such as jlb101 a very bitter poster...
El Lobo: Cool!
its very hard to find exclusive american made products anymore. the japs and koreans have built car plants here as have the germans.{BMW} wal-mart is for those people who cant afford to shop at other stores,and the way the economy is going more and more people will be shopping there; its a fact of life. bashing unions dont help because those members pump money into the local businesses. i've seen WWII and korean war veterans driving hondas and toyotas because of their reliability versus chevy ford and chrysler.
Union Beer?? Instead of drinking yellow swill why don't you drink Fat Tire. New Belgium is the brewery and they are a responsible corporation.
They do a lot of things for their employees and don't have corrupt union bosses sucking in dues money.
www.newbelgium.com
My Chevrolet and Pontiacs are 100% reliable. The 2004 with 82,000 miles has never had a problem at all. Neither have the 2005 or 2008. A friend has a 2005 Toyota with horrible electrical problems. (No, he didn't have a cheap-o stereo store cause them). I'm not Union, But I believe in buying American products from American companies wherever possible. I still can't figure out the fools driving a clapped out, smoking Honda with the "live better, work union" sticker on the car. It really doesn't look like they're living better, or supporting their union. Our country is in the problems it is because of all of the people buying foreign when American is available. Yes, I'm a Republican, Yes, my next car will be UAW American made. Yes, I look at the U.S. content before I buy.