Racing to De-Unionize

 

Racing to De-unionize

 

 

               The chapter this week, "Remaking the Political Economy", caught my interest in regards to worker marginalization. Last week my focus was primarily on the mass production of workers concentrated with the Mexican race, however this week with the "race issue" somewhat behind us I wanted to focus on the concept of unionization, or the lack there of. The chapter focuses on  the Taft Hartley Act and the 1959 Landrum-Griffin Act, as a means of concentrating power among the elite and employers of who's interest these particular acts serve. However, I wanted to remark that taking such power from the hands of the employee only allows for the employer to further exploit workers. Again this very topic is similar to the Mexican work issue presented in the last chapter. With little to any rights given to employees through the use of unions, employers tend to take advantage of the employee and employer worker relationship creating an abandoned class of dependent workers who lack any representation concerning one's needs. Again we have enacted policies in which a few individuals benefit, literally, from the work of the majority. To ban unionization is in itself to declare worker's rights as unimportant matters concerning one's welfare and benefits. I believe that we have a classic view of Karl Marx's work in his basis of Conflict theory. There are two sides at work, an underprivileged class of workers who are subjected to the scrutiny of the elite in a fight to ensure worker safety and protection and most important equality within the workplace. However, we have the Bourgeoisie, the elite who are hoarding this power and wealth for themselves in a way to concentrate private gain in the upper sectors of class. However, I believe that this system is able to perpetuate itself again and again through the lack of common plight. As conditions worsen, which is the trend before social change, there should be a ban of like-minded values within the lower class that fosters an upset group of individuals causing the dismantling of these classist practices. However, a lack of class consciousness in an attempt to just "get by" and "make it", creates a "dont' rock the boat" complex, leaving disgruntled individuals trapped in a system in which they are exploited for their one and only resource through the systematic workings of a privileged machine.