We all remember the story of Chicken Little-and why wouldn't we? She was a one-trick chicken: "The sky is falling!" she would proclaim, in response to any situation, and to anyone who would listen.
Well, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) have adapted Chicken's strategy. When confronted with legislation to improve American workers' lives, the Chamber and NAM invariably threaten economic ruin and rampant government control.
The problem is, their predictions have never come true. Consider their records:
On fair pay for women: NAM opposes the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to strengthen women's ability to challenge pay discrimination.On rights for people with disabilities: When the Americans with Disabilities Act was being debated back in 1989, the Chamber opposed it, saying, "Small businesses simply do not have the money in the bank"
On minimum wage increases: NAM opposed a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15/hour in 2000. In 2007, the Chamber also opposed increasing the minimum wage, claiming that "Even this modest increase will hurt free enterprise."
On guaranteed family medical leave: The Chamber opposed the FMLA back in 1991, claiming, "We think most Americans don't want the federal government to be their personnel administrators."
NAM and the Chamber are recycling many of the same, tired arguments as they lobby hard against the Employee Free Choice Act on Capitol Hill this week.
It's no surprise that corporate CEOs are resorting to these tactics. Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott admitted the real reason the Chamber and their friends oppose the Employee Free Choice Act-"We like driving the car and we're not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us."
So next time you hear these Chicken Little claims, remember they seldom add up.
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And the Unions do all they can to take money from others pockets.
The fact is that those who show up and do their jobs never need a union. And the Union knows it
I disagree. I have seen people get fired for child care for a sick child. I have been fired for missing work due to an on-the-job injury that happened because I was required to work a 12 hour shift instead of my 8-hour shift. Unions may at times seem "expensive" but they are a lot less expensive than the unfairness that corporate america so readily dishes out to us mere cogs-in-the-wheel employees.