OPINION:
The union movement was intended to serve the interest of members with respect to their employment and business interests. At times, this required adversarial — even antagonistic — stances on the part of the union. In another time, especially before World War II, there was confrontation. But during the war, when the national survival was at stake, the unions cooperated for the benefit of the employees and the sake of civilization.
Unions worked hand-in-hand with government and commerce. In the wake of World War II, there was indeed a return to some degree of union confrontation, which was done to further the benefit and interests of workers within the context of a capitalistic system in a free-enterprise economy.
Now unions have become the tool of social engineers in organizations such as the Service Employees International Union. The new-age union honchos have abused the authority invested by unions to harm both the workers and the nation, as evidenced by Obamacare and the use of the union mechanisms and treasuries to demean the rule of law. This is further evidenced by the outright recruitment of illegal aliens to take jobs that citizens and legal aliens desire and deserve.
I have been a unionist for almost 40 years, and what is needed is a conservative movement within union entities in particular and the labor movement nationwide. Only then, once a return to the true purpose of the unions is a fait accompli, will unions have the respect of both their membership and the citizenry.
MIKE McADOO
San Francisco
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