tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post174014974068505883..comments2023-10-29T04:36:52.733-05:00Comments on elle, phd: Looking for a Word...ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867952598756889997noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-41332218437721322362008-04-21T17:25:00.000-05:002008-04-21T17:25:00.000-05:00Brian, when I was researching my dissertation, I r...<I>Brian, when I was researching my dissertation, I ran across so many opinion articles that accused Bill Clinton of basically selling unskilled workers out for lowered unemployment rates/the ability to say "I brought jobs to Arkansas."</I><BR/><BR/>They weren't wrong either. Bill Clinton had many good traits, but a love for organized labor was not among them.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057141977192915700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-35806873628133534342008-04-21T10:38:00.000-05:002008-04-21T10:38:00.000-05:00I think I'd fall back on the classic term "slavema...I think I'd fall back on the classic term "slavemasters".Kaethehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01138988651491869091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-8754172633359731142008-04-20T14:45:00.000-05:002008-04-20T14:45:00.000-05:00And Bill, would you mind e-mailing me? I'd like t...And Bill, would you mind e-mailing me? I'd like to talk to you as I gear up to revise my manuscript.ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01867952598756889997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-67893605990905199292008-04-20T14:44:00.000-05:002008-04-20T14:44:00.000-05:00Your comments are all on point! Aunt B, what I see...Your comments are all on point! <BR/><BR/>Aunt B, what I see in Arkansas and Louisiana is the use of contractors and the fact that in Arkansas at least, the UFCW has one Spanish-speaking organizer. Plus, from the interviews I've done, many people feel the union is definitely company-oriented.<BR/><BR/>Brian, when I was researching my dissertation, I ran across so many opinion articles that accused Bill Clinton of basically selling unskilled workers out for lowered unemployment rates/the ability to say "I brought jobs to Arkansas."ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01867952598756889997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-77313383005955833132008-04-20T12:28:00.000-05:002008-04-20T12:28:00.000-05:00Don't forget that the Clintons have very cozy ties...Don't forget that the Clintons have very cozy ties with Tyson as well, dating back to their Arkansas days. It's corporatism that's the big enemy here.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06192537713607428731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-76531379622387524222008-04-19T15:16:00.000-05:002008-04-19T15:16:00.000-05:00I represent many chicken workers in unpaid overtim...I represent many chicken workers in unpaid overtime cases and the reasons why the poultry companies have refused to bring their pay practices in line are:<BR/>1. Illegal/hispanic workers are very wary of participating in litigation for fear of retaliation. <BR/>2. Political cover from the Republican regime because of the political connections of the Tysons and Pilgrims of the world. <BR/>3. It is cheaper for them to pay lawyers than to pay their employees fairly. <BR/><BR/>The irony of the whole situation is that the greatest proponents of immigration reform (big business conservatives) include the same group that benefits most from illegal immigrant labor (big business). <BR/><BR/>Go figure.Bill Hommelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15577862586231392030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-26352814405417751162008-04-19T14:40:00.000-05:002008-04-19T14:40:00.000-05:00But gosh, don't you know - those folks are here to...But gosh, don't you know - those folks are here to STEAL OUR JOBS. *nodnod*<BR/><BR/>*shoots self*<BR/><BR/>I have no idea how anyone believes that someone could "accidently" work illegally for a company. Companies know exactly what they're doing.<BR/><BR/>Grrrr. Here via shakes, thanks for this post, Elle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-30353252660139882282008-04-19T12:27:00.000-05:002008-04-19T12:27:00.000-05:00When I was in grad school in Arkansas, Tyson got b...When I was in grad school in Arkansas, Tyson got busted flying undocumented workers into its private airfield. They got off with a slap on the wrist.<BR/><BR/>I'm not a vegetarian, but the meat-packing industry just might turn me into one.<BR/><BR/>Oh and I left my word over at Shakesville, but I'll put it here too. Dickneck.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06192537713607428731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-32820291872998390802008-04-19T08:27:00.000-05:002008-04-19T08:27:00.000-05:00"What do you call companies who make a practice of..."What do you call companies who make a practice of hiring immigrants, knowing full well some are undocumented, depend on their labor, subject them to brutal, crippling work, pay them low wages, set them in opposition to other exploited workers, and aggressively combat the workers' efforts to organize for better conditions, then turn them in to ICE?" -elle<BR/><BR/>Asshats.<BR/><BR/>But your word works well, too.Giftie Etceterahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11353862141419399333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19408862.post-63817746857681767962008-04-19T07:56:00.000-05:002008-04-19T07:56:00.000-05:00When I was working summers during college in Illin...When I was working summers during college in Illinois, corporations in the Quad Cities (such as John Deere and ADM) had two strategies for lessening the strength of the unions among their workers.<BR/><BR/>One was to farm vital parts of the work out to subcontractor--packaging plants--that weren't organized. When I worked at one such place, people like me, who didn't speak Spanish, were pared with people who spoke only Spanish, to assure that neither could discuss organizing with the other.<BR/><BR/>At ADM, during this time, the woman I worked with, who according to the bosses only spoke Spanish, but who actually spoke English fluently, told me that ADM hired folks they knew were not here legally so that when the unions were able to infiltrate the shop, ADM would turn itself in to INS (at the time) and INS would come and round up all the "illegals" and send them back to Mexico courtesy of the tax payers.<BR/><BR/>Then, and again, before you sue me, ADM, let me reiterate I was just hearing this second-hand, supposedly, ADM would have a bus at the airport in Mexico and everyone who pledged not to unionize and to work against unionization among the other employees was put on the bus and brought back to their families in Illinois.<BR/><BR/>She and her husband had been living in Illinois for about ten years at the time and this had happened to him, she said, twice.<BR/><BR/>I say all this only because, somehow, these companies who have for years been hiring these workers because they are so uniquely vulnerable to exploitation have managed to cultivate a public face of being halpless victims of conniving criminals.<BR/><BR/>And that makes me very angry.Aunt Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12033039280432976501noreply@blogger.com