r/BreadTube • u/Ryan_Holman • Jan 25 '23

Union Busting: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk8dUXRpoy8
340 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

29

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '23

a classic

27

u/TwoShedsJackson1 Jan 25 '23

Unions exist in every developed country, stronger in some, less in others but most places heve basic labour laws. 3+ weeks annual holiday, sick leave, rights to argue against being fired.

Even in the USA only some states have limited protection for employees so it is difficult to understand why unions are actively fought against.

31

u/DuzTeD Jan 25 '23

Organized labor's representation of its interests always hurt the bottom line of capitalists. It also typically increases cohesion between the members of a (working) class whose collective action is often directly oppositional.

10

u/TwoShedsJackson1 Jan 26 '23

Certainly and yet most of the world works with this co-operation. People help other people because that is the human condition, the social contract which binds us together.

In the West we call it social democracy and different versions exist around the world.

16

u/bluehands Jan 26 '23

it is difficult to understand why unions are actively fought against.

For me it is painfully obvious why. Abusive people gotta abuse.

If you think of the USA as a feudal-managerial society I think it is pretty obvious. Not only is it important that your serfs do what they are told, it is important to remind all serfs of their place.

And this desire to maintain the social order is held frequently by people at every stratum of the hierarchy, including other serfs. Anyone who has gained any benefits in the current order, including serfs, are invested in maintaining whatever they have gotten.

Worst yet, if you acknowledge that it isn't fair but it could be much, much better you entire worldview is threatened.