Looking back at the great depression (and noticing a frightening similarity to today’s economic picture) one of the greatest surges in union membership and organization came out of the frustration of the every day worker with the greed of industry. Over the years we have seen a number of pitched battles between union & management on many different fields of battle. With wins and losses on both sides and no clear winner, one would start to ask themselves, why bother? Companies that treat their workers fairly seem to be more productive while companies that steal from their employee’s are less productive but keep up their revenues through the theft. I would think that by now the business schools would have realized that creating a harmonious working relationship between management and labor would, in the long run, be better.
The fly in the ointment, as usual, is all about perception. No matter how you present it, good companies can fail and they can succeed the same way that bad companies can fail and succeed as well. There simply isn’t one perfect solution. Perhaps it is fate or the diversity of business but no matter the reason, there will always be situations in the world that promote organized labor and their will be situations that discourage the same.
Passing laws that encourage or prevent organized labor isn’t nearly as important as passing laws that protect the rights of the individual. It is the individual that, collectively, make up this nation and because of this each and every individual needs and deserves the same level of protection. Trying to segregate any group based on all the categories, be they sex, religion, faith, preferences, etc, etc, is just another veiled attempt to “divide and conquer”. There will always be groups of people that seek to control other people for their own selfish reasons and no matter how great those reasons might be perceived, the bottom line is always the same.
While the president and the congress wrestle with each other over how best to work through these tough economic times, the common person is being left in the trenches; there to slug it out with creditors, employers, and a host of others that seek only to take what little they have earned, saved, invested, and are now having plundered. It isn’t a question of how they got what little they got; our system all but makes it impossible for most to get ahead. The real question is who is more important; labor or management?
And regardless of your own personal situation, the answer is still the same. Both are equally important. Without one, the other has little chance of survival. It is the classic love/hate relationship that never seems to find common ground because there will always be members of one group that envy’s what the other has and will find a way to take it.
Perhaps that is the most interesting think I’ve noticed about this new president. He gets it, he understands not only the situation, but the fact that he is limited in just how much he can change; yet there is stays, in the fight, trying every different way he can find to get this mess back on track. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an elected official quite so focused and undoubting in his mission. He is the ultimate journeyman, practicing his craft with an eye on the quality of his product. He will not easily settle for less but searches for another way to get more and in the end, will be content with a successful tie that benefits all. He walks a very tight rope, but despite the apparent danger, he soldiers on.
Now is the time for the Professional Citizen to take their place, insisting on change that benefits the nation. Not just the poor, nor the rich, nor the middle class, but fair and honest change that benefits everyone without attempting to create a utopia. Just create an even playing field where everyone has an equal opportunity and no one can take unfair advantage and get away with just a slap on the wrists.
That is what made America great and the envy of every nation on earth. An equal opportunity for one and for all. We bring that back and we will bring America back, stronger and smarter than before. The future truly is in our hands.
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