3/18    Why do union leaders become so aggressive whenever employers or
        contractors (specifically in construction jobs) choose non-union
        employees? Don't those dumbasses realize that there might be a
        reason the employer/contractor wants the non-union employees
        (the same way a hiring manager hires one applicant over another)?
        \_ is your entitled rich family still mad about the New Deal?
        \_ LOL are you really this naive?  It is commonplace for union
           thugs to beat and threaten serious injury to any non-union workers
           or any group that threatens their stranglehold on business.
           There have been recent political rallies where union thugs beat
           counter protestors.  It's not a coincidence that the two largest
           constituencies of the Dem. party are unions and trial lawyers.
           \_ i hate trial lawyers and unions. -liberal
              \_ me too. -another liberal
              \_ What about union lawyers? The mind boggles.
              \_ I hate trial lawyers too. Why can't the police just shoot
                 whoever they think is guilty? A fair trail is such a
                 stupid and outmoded concept. What were the founding
                 fathers thinking?
           \_ Yea, and the largest republican constituency are the KKK
           \_ OMG WTF LOL!
           \_ hah! and you think he's naive?
                \_ That's all you have to say?
                   \_ no, not really
                      \_ sure it is.  you've said nothing else.
           \_ Yea, and the largest republican constituencies are the KKK
              and oil company executives.  No, you are not naive, just
              silly.
              silly.
              \_ Ok, then who *are* the largest donors to each party?
              \_ Ok, then who *are* the largest donors to each party?
                 \_ for the 2004 election, top 2 republican contributors
                    seem to be wal-mart and sbc.  top 2 democratic
                    contributors are the unions and the trial lawyers.
                    ref http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topcontribs.asp
                    \_ Wal-Mart and SBC vs. trial lawyers and unions...hmmm
                       Talk about Evil vs. Evil.  Wal-Mart and SBC have more
                       money though, so I guess I'll go with the underdog...
                       \_ there are $420 billion in union pension funds.
                          (from 2002 data)  who's richer here?
                          \_ PENSION FUNDS.  Don't be a dumbass.  What do you
                             think PENSION money goes to?
                             \_ who do you think *controls* the pension
                                funds?  how much power does controlling
                                $420 billion give you?
                    \_ did you posed the question and then answered it
                       yourself?  funny.
                                \_ Not a lot.  All that money is owed back to
                                   the people that paid into the system.  You
                                   can't just be giving it to political
                                   candidates.
                                   \_ you are either disingenuous or stupid.
                                      \_ I'm neither.  You're incredibly
                                         stupid if you think that the entire
                                         sum total of all union pension funds
                                         is available for Democratic party
                                         spending, which is what you're
                                         implying.
                    \_ did you pose the question and then answered it
                       yourself when nobody took the bait?  funny.
                  \_ God donated his only son for them both. Amen.
        \_ ask around how unionization fucked over the Student Learning
           Center tutoring program by forcing out volunteer tutors.
           \_ So if eventually the SLC whittled down to almost no employees,
              and then shut down, would that be a better alternative? At
              least a union job puts food on the table and a roof over one's
              head. Not everyone is privileged in life like most students
              at Cal.
                \_ better that than to give it to corrupt union employees
                   who whine and bitch at the slightest need for
                   energy exertion. the SLC is for students, by students.
                   worthless unions have absolutely no place in there.
                   \_ Cal's greatest export is whiny bitchy graduates who
                      think they are better than everyone else in the world
                      because mommy and daddy told them so - withholding their
                      love until you believed it. Then you went out onto the
                      world hating everyone that didn't fit your mold of what
                      the world should be like. Unions? they are for ppl in
                      socialist countries - not the good ol' USA where it's
                      all about me, and just me.