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Unions to blame for membership drop?

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    Report: Unions lost 400,000 members in 2012

  • Duration 7:37
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Well no -- union guys are throwing punches like this are probably looking at the dwindling numbers and getting a little punchy themselves.

And a report showing unions losing 400000.

Members last year.

Current leaders are blaming on government spending cuts but.

With stories like this in New York City -- bus tires are being slash and disabled kids are being stranded in the middle of a union drivers strike.

Should unions actually be blaming blaming themselves.

Are everybody I'm David -- and welcome to Forbes aardvarks let's go in -- web.

-- -- Steve Forbes.

Elizabeth McDonald Mike Jose Guillen -- Unger and bill -- so Steve who don't unions have to blame for this.

Sadly they too often kill the golden -- which is the job supplier the public sector of the salaries are unaffordable -- benefits of -- outlandish.

And in the private sector of people are finding that if you want real growth and you can you can't be strangled by these work rolls eyes -- Chicago McCormack convention center.

You -- made a few concessions a couple of years ago because conventions are saying we're not coming to this -- can't get anything done.

-- -- there's also a sense that these unions care a lot more about their political power.

Then they do about jobs we look at what happened with Boeing look at what -- which we -- American Airlines that that company went bankrupt.

Because of the union.

It's electors I'm not gonna sit here and deny that unions haven't played a role in shooting themselves in the foot because they have to some degree.

But you do have to dig a little deeper on this because it gets interest -- Looking at the members from last year where they did lose some more membership.

You do find that about 50% of that was due to some of these new anti collective bargaining agreements were seeing in the states or -- Lives were seeing in the State's right to work legislation these things are taking a -- another interesting thing I dug up.

We're seeing that a lot of the things union spent so many years fighting for.

Have now been codified as a part of federal -- but if you're any anti Unionists don't take out the celebration yet it's not over.

Numbers we're going to we're quick to throw in the fact there's a Mac that that a lot of these right to work laws are hurting the units but people are voting for -- -- -- They did spend millions of dollars a unions it and try defeat -- right to work laws.

But they keep winning most recently in Michigan and now there's a move forward in Pennsylvania.

Yeah that's true David and look at what I -- when you look at what's going on at the union movement the biggest drop and union membership came because -- at the drop in government workers.

And what I think what's going on as co workers and saying look you know what it's not worth the aggravation and paying all these dues for what we're getting the benefits that.

You know we had been for years but they didn't isn't really representing us -- benefits are getting cut.

Nothing is something Wisconsin was the real watershed moment because that the unions had made some concessions there that Governor Walker wanted.

That both houses of a legislator eventually voted for the union reform.

They may also have collective bargaining and that basically they did shoot themselves in the foot with.

-- -- -- and -- -- -- the point is is that when unions take -- stand these days are usually taken -- -- at a situation that ends up with fewer jobs for workers like with twinkies like with American Airlines I don't agree I think the decline in union membership.

At the private sector is due to cosmic things like the Pacific Ocean is very easy to -- -- -- from China you know what might save the unions or at least give him a stay of execution.

The fact.

The Chinese are no longer willing to work on assembly -- for slave wages in fact in China.

Factory jobs -- not paying better than office jobs are but Mike -- and in a fact is is that they've been spending millions of dollars trying to wind things that they've been losing.

The right we mention the right to work -- Barber the governor from Wisconsin Scott Walker his recall election they spent millions trying to defeat him and they lost that's right David the whole purpose of -- the reason why -- exist is to get their members dwarf.

And have them do last.

That runs counter to productivity the only way an economy grows is either by adding more people in the workforce or increasing productivity or -- combination.

Unions run counter to that which is why more people are against them and Steve that fact is is that when they spend these millions of dollars on these issues that they're losing quite a bit.

That's union dues money that's that doesn't come fall out of the sky.

Yeah it's a case of -- David he touched on at the beginning they have very heavily in the politics and when union members have a chance not to have to pay for all this politicking just focus on bargaining.

They don't pay the dues they just want to that the bargaining so -- overreach in the -- the price for.

So Rick are they just toothless tigers valued ally and at what I was trying to say earlier you've got to keep an eye on this because in one place California the great state of California.

The numbers are on the upswing and where they coming from.

The Latino community the one group of PDF -- Republicans.

Are trying to become friends I pull -- a second look at the overall figures we have union membership in the private sector down below 7% now -- America -- a -- The overall figures are not looking good for the -- -- We haven't seen us drop in decades David and I think the jig is up on the other side -- -- I'll bet you look at taxpayers realize for example in two dozen states.

Unions government unions lobby for more spending and they love -- for more tax hikes meaning property taxes to go up.

Why does pay for their benefits and I think taxpayers across the country.

They are saying wait a second we get it now and we understand I think the union members understand the backlash to.

-- your usual bank shot point -- it was kind of hard to digest but I think I have the fact that his velvet that there are so many overseas jobs.

That used to go to union members here is there anyway unions can make a play for those jobs for bringing some of those jobs that have -- to China back home yes I think manufacturing jobs are coming back to North America it is partly because China's coming up in the world.

And by the way I totally disagree that the unions are on the defensive when it comes to government I think they own government election -- well that's an excellent point to one -- it -- membership is growing.

Is with the public sector government -- of course -- not touched on the reason why because the government doesn't have to compete the government just raids raises taxes.

The private sector where business is up to compete.

On quality of the product and the price of the product.

Unions make companies less compatible let's let's say about unions having unions did used to represent a quote people were proud to put the union label on.

On a product because it signified.

A better product is that still true -- up now while all you have to do is look at the Detroit legacy companies there and the struggles they've had in recent years with companies that one -- right to work states.

They paid competitive wages did well on a normal economy.

And so what do you means that they had to use outlived their usefulness after the nineteen ready to do unions have a PR problem to what you have to come back at six forget about these big issues these political issues go back to basics and say we make better product than they do have some PR problems but I gotta tell you something healthy chunk of that.

Is the effort that's been made for years now to discredit them and it's taken -- well this is why all of us getting back and it's not that hard to discredit somebody like Richard Trumka.

When my guys is pretty much of a fog a look at what he did we -- at the United Mine Workers it's -- And he is is it a probable with perception that you were.

They're the folks -- perception out there is that these guys are thugs that are not helping union memo there.

Rhetoric EI here to -- about that there rhetoric to goes into hyper drive and it becomes profoundly deeply irrational things that unions are saying listen.

I do believe in protecting the workforce we get that we want to rational union.

Leadership what we don't have really in this country right now last word from -- -- coming up next.

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