Union Worker Vs Big Business

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Union Workers vs. Big Businesses

"Most Americans are making more money than ever before," according to the documentary "Who's Getting Rich and Why Aren't You?” The question is if most Americans are making more money than ever before, where is all the money going? Most Americans see themselves as middle class. They believe they are defined by their work. However, the middle class is shrinking at an unprecedented pace. People are less hopeful that their children will ever be able to maintain the same living standards as their parents and grandparents did. People with credentials and experience are losing jobs, which reflects a global competition that puts employees at a disadvantage. Although companies are maximizing their profits, they are cutting the wages of the employees in lower tiers. And hence the union workers are at logger's heads with big businesses.

“How much is enough for the boss? It's never enough," says an employee in the documentary. In 2007, 440,000 white collar workers were fired. Those defending downsizings argue that without exceptional skills everyone is replaceable. The exceptions and individuals with success stories argue that earning money requires more successful skills. But evidence shows that even managers and top performers are being fired. Some are those who have worked for more than 20 years.

The downsizing wave has struck the middle class badly, which makes up the majority of American society. But where is all the money going? A Labor History profession at Berkeley tells us in the documentary that today we have two Americas. One for the top 20%, and another for the bottom 80% person. The top is moving further away. Previously when productivity increased, wages also increased. Today it is the other way around. Profits are being maximized but wages are being cut.

In1980s, an average CEO made 625,000 dollar, which was 42 times more than his employee average. Today it is more than 141 times. CEOs are investing their own money in companies. They keep maximizing their profits thinking it is not a sin to be successful.

As a result of this wave of downsizing, labor unions are at loggerheads with companies. However, it seems that labor unions are losing the battle. In the 1960s, 1 out of 3 jobs were union jobs. Today less than 1 out of 6 are union jobs. Businesses make unions lose by outsourcing their jobs to people who are content with lower salaries. The money thus saved is invested further. Since unions are in decline, everyone is on his own. People with religious bent bind see the battle between unions and businesses as a battle between good and evil. However, the systematic destruction of the middle class seems impossible to stop. "The American dream is flying out the window."