Union Workers Strike

“Striketober,” they call it, Industries all over America are losing workers to union strikes. The workers are at an end with the constant neglect from the top. Their salaries seem to dwindle, barely lift some over the poverty line, while corporate executive salaries skyrocket.

Over 10,000 John Deere factory workers are on strike after rejecting an incompetent wage deal. A poor excuse for appeasement from the people up top. All while workers’ pay gets cut, the CEO receives a 160% raise. I wonder what back-breaking life-threatening job he’s done in the past year.

Furthermore, let’s take a gander at what’s going on in Hollywood. Films crews all over Hollywood almost had gone on strike, but recently the strike was averted, and the executives acquiesced. They must understand that workers are strong, far better than the John Deere people.

Do you like cereal? I bet you do; what’s your favorite? Frosted Flakes? Kind of bland, but I understand. Did you know Kelloggs makes those? Did you know they completely mistreat workers? No? Now you do. Yes, your favorite cereal company is committing worker’s rights violations, for what you say? Money, of course. Kelloggs is now actually attempting to hire scabs due to the unionized worker’s strike. The folks over at John Deere tried that, and one of them crashed a tractor in a factory.

Moreover, it’s all quite inspiring to see workers take the reins and realize their power. Two thousand hospital workers strike in Buffalo, the same nurses that risked their lives through a pandemic that killed over 700,000 people, as per the NYT. 1,000 Coal miners are on strike in Alabama; they have been for a while. Seven hundred more Massachusetts nurses go on strike as well 400 whisky workers and 400 ironworkers. You get the picture.

But businesses are losing workers another way too; 4.3 million people left their jobs in August. Many look to better pay and conditions with inflation on the rise. The chamber of commerce seeks to stop sending welfare to jobless workers, the income of 300 a week, saying “it will create an incentive for work.”

Despite that, even neoclassical economists agree that you are supposed to meet the (extremely reasonable) demands before a strike; the main goal is to prevent the strike. The workers are valuable, and you have to show them that they are by giving to their demands. But modern capitalists don’t see the value; they see expendable labor. And they will go through any means of skimming off the top.

Workers are not giving in; they are staying strong and proud. Let the worker’s best interests get met. This month is historic for worker’s rights; we are looking forward to what comes of the strikes.