Walking the Picket Line

[Andrew Fletcher]

Lehighguy,

I used to work for a union in Philadelphia. I am very interested that you grew up in a union household. I am a big supporter of the labor movement and working people in general.

Let's apply the media-political logic to our own lives. If you and I made an agreement that I'd work for you for $10, then I would work if I wanted the $10. What would happen if you told me that we had to renegotiate the terms of the agreement every 2 years and I would have to be paid less every week for the same job? $8, $6, $3. Same job, maybe even more work, but unable to stop working for you.

That's why the union is striking. They want to do a good job, but the government keeps paying them less and less. The government keeps forcing them to renegotiate their contracts at worse conditions. Again, if I were cleaning your yard, what would you do?

How would you describe it? I think you would be the master and I would be the slave.

We're free if we want to be.