There was a time when unions were ostensibly concerned with the welfare of their workers. Their focus was invariably on wages and benefits.
Yet, in California, unionized longshoremen called a halt to their work to focus on the war in Iraq. One can only wonder if the State Department took notice of this unusual contribution to America’s foreign policy?
The longshoremen apparently not satisfied with issues that affect their work decided to indulge in a walkout to protest the war. Pity the poor truckers who then arrived to pick up goods that that had been unloaded from ships. Are unionized truckers to be paid by their employers for sitting around unable to load their trucks?
One can only wonder what the ulterior motive of such a walkout was? Could it have been an effort to focus attention on the presidential race? Were the longshoremen reinforcing the message that Barrack Obama will not only renegotiate NAFTA, but also pull our troops out Iraq? If so, unions have wasted the wages paid by employers on political events that have nothing to do with workplace issues.
