McDonald’s New Labor Problem

I was driving home from church when my 9 year old son noticed that McDonald’s was flying the American Flag upside down. I turned the car around and decided to find out why? When I asked the manager she said, “Oh my God!”

She directed an employee to go out and fix it. Still, I can’t help but think this is a sign of a larger problem. Was this just a simple mistake or did the employee not know the flag was upside down? Why did it take over an hour and a half for someone to bring it to their attention? Does McDonald’s need to incorporate flag etiquette into their employee training? What do you think?

Lawsuit by Fired Circuit City Workers

The lawsuit against Circuit City by three of the fired employees alleges age discrimination. It makes since that workers with greater lengths of service were likely the highest paid and probably older workers as well.

What kind of a slimy management team would do that? Firing 3,400 employees “allowing” them to reapply after 10 weeks for their former position at lower pay is such an insult. Morale must be at an all time low at Circuit City.

I will never shop at Circuit City again.

Will you?

Is There a Future for Union Organizing?

I disagree with futurist and author Alvin Toffler, who recently predicted that the job of Union Organizer will disappear 20 years from now (By 2027). He was quoted on Forbes.com as also saying, “The labor movement has not come to terms with the knowledge economy at all.”

It’s just not true. The quality of union apprenticeship training has never been better. The building trades are heavily invested in their member’s education. Journeyman upgrade classes are packed with members who want to stay ahead of the industry. Innovation is encouraged; just look at the unions that are training their member’s to become contractors in expanding markets, like the electrical workers are with solar power.

That’s why I started this blog. To discuss the issues we face in construction organizing.

Here’s my prediction: I think progressive labor unions like those of the building trades who encourage innovation are going to come to terms with the value of organizing and rise to dominate the labor movement.

It does make one think though…… Have we invested enough in education? What skill sets will construction workers be required to have in 2027? What challenges will we face in the future?