Save the ACLU?

[innersanctum]

I saw someone mention the ACLU in another thread (in a condescending way) and it got me to thinking; are there any good things that the ACLU does for society?

In other words, are there any positive things that can be taken from the work they do? I looked at their site (http://www.aclu.org) and had a pretty hard time finding many things but I did see they feel similar to my views on the spying on Americans issue. Are they so far "left" that they can't be saved?

We could write an entire site about the causes this organization takes up and discuss the importance or irrelevance of each. So take a minute, look at their site and find one positive thing, in your opinion, they are doing for Americans and discuss it here.

[innersanctum]

:laughabove:I guess they don't do much positive for American citizens, huh? :giveup:

[jarvisa]

Maybe you should of asked for all the negative things?

[CplCJ]

They do positive things(in thier collective mind) for certain Americans...

[kmalone]

The ACLU is about as far left as you get and all they are is a puppet for the unions of this country.

[innersanctum]

Unions aren't a bad thing. Without them, prevailing wage would still be very small. I am not union, matter of fact, I am on the complete opposite of the fence in a management position. However, without them, companies would be paying skilled labor a lot lessor wage.

[CplCJ]

I am also a fan of unions. Most labor jobs are union. My wife is a teacher and she is union. Good thing, too. It saved her good contract last year. The school board was trying to cut costs and charge more for bennies, etc. the union stood strong and they got what was coming to them. Locked in by contract. My FIL was a bread truck driver. He was union also. In my business, IT, there are some sorts of unions, but from what I hear, they are not too strong, and I would end up losing money to belong to them. So I am not currently.

[innersanctum]

Know why there aren't any unions in IT? Because if you don't do the job, they will let you go and get a some foreigner to do the work instead of you or they will find some 18 y/o kid to do the same job for minimum wage. IT is a global job that can be done from just about anywhere and it appeals to a wide demographic as far as skill set. You can find kids from 18 to old men of, how old are you CJ?, doing IT work.

[CplCJ]

Know why there aren't any unions in IT? Because if you don't do the job, they will let you go and get a some foreigner to do the work instead of you or they will find some 18 y/o kid to do the same job for minimum wage. IT is a global job that can be done from just about anywhere and it appeals to a wide demographic as far as skill set. You can find kids from 18 to old men of, how old are you CJ?, doing IT work.38, punk

[jarvisa]

I can not stand unions. We have one trying to get my CEO to not hold elections to see if we want to be unionized, instead they want him to just sign the whole company over as union without a vote. The reason is that they can not obtain enough signatures to even warrant a vote. They have done some pretty rotten things like following people home and preying on non english speaking employees. I think we are in like year 3 of this push they have going I know just to rebuttal their crazy claims has cost us all kinds of money that could be spent wiser in my company stock. I think unions had a time and place and are good for specific industries but when you see the corruption first hand it can kind of make you sick.

[innersanctum]

I can not stand unions. We have one trying to get my CEO to not hold elections to see if we want to be unionized, instead they want him to just sign the whole company over as union without a vote. The reason is that they can not obtain enough signatures to even warrant a vote. They have done some pretty rotten things like following people home and preying on non english speaking employees. I think we are in like year 3 of this push they have going I know just to rebuttal their crazy claims has cost us all kinds of money that could be spent wiser in my company stock. I think unions had a time and place and are good for specific industries but when you see the corruption first hand it can kind of make you sick.

They can be a lilttle over-zealous. I won't argue that point. But you statement:
I think unions had a time and place and are good for specific industries but when you see the corruption first hand it can kind of make you sick. Is probably the most correct.

[CplCJ]

They can be a lilttle over-zealous. I won't argue that point. But you statement: Is probably the most correct.Is this because you are management that you feel this way about unions?

[jarvisa]

I myself am not managment but I work for the Corp office which is generally considered managment. I might feel differently if I were a plant laborer. But my whole point is if the employees determine there is a need for a union fine but there is no sense creating something that the laborers have time and time again proven that they dont want. I was part of AFCLO (I think that is what it was called) when I was 18 and worked for Krogers. The only thing that I recieved fromt he union was a smaller pay check because of union dues, that was it.

[Green Man]

I'm kind of neutral about unions. I am currently in a job where I had to join a union. It's my 1st time. I don't like the extra money being taken out of my check, but I like the fact that I have back-up in case I need it (although our union rep. seems like a tool).
The union did step up for my aunt though one time. Got her the back wages they were trying to screw her out of. I think we need unions, but I also think that some unions just plain suck.

[CplCJ]

I'm kind of neutral about unions. I am currently in a job where I had to join a union. It's my 1st time. I don't like the extra money being taken out of my check, but I like the fact that I have back-up in case I need it (although our union rep. seems like a tool).
The union did step up for my aunt though one time. Got her the back wages they were trying to screw her out of. I think we need unions, but I also think that some unions just plain suck.As far as unions sucking, it is more the Officers of the unions that suck. If you get some mamby pamby rep that has no hootzpa, you may not get the support you need from the union. Its like a good NCO or a non good NCO. Your squad leader doesn't stand up for his squad, then he is not looking out for his troops...

[Green Man]

then perhaps it's just our rep that sucks. From what I understand he doesn't do a whole lot and he's not local to our area. So if you do have a problem, it's not like you can just schedule a lunch meeting in town.