Jobs & Unions

Labor had always been a commodity and was subject to the laws of supply and demand that determined the price of labor.  Those seeking jobs would approach employers and were free to accept or reject employment offers.  Those doing the hiring were free to hire or reject applicants.

Guilds developed in the middle ages and trades like masonry developed. It was common for a tradesman to have family members learn the trade as apprentices and work with their parents.  The Master-Apprentice relationship also applied to non-family members who had the skills.

Merchants also formed groups and associations to expand their list of commodities and their customer base. Free association was a natural part of freedom, but it didn’t interfere with the employer-employee relationship until unions developed in the 1800s.

Certain jobs had always been “high risk” and not everyone took these jobs, but these jobs were always plentiful.  Crews for merchant ships were often commandeered against their will and slavery and indebted servitude was common in the 1700s and resented by the 1800s.

If you didn’t like a job, employees were always free to find another job they would like better. These employees move for various reasons. They may not like their current crop of co-workers or may not like their new supervisor. They may not love what they do and need to find a different job to get closer to what they might like. These moves might be accomplished by moving to a different department.

The reasons for changing companies are different. They may have moved to another state. They might like to shorten their commute. They might believe they are “dead-ended” in their current company. They might believe that their plant or office or company or industry would shrink or fail.  

I worked in manufacturing and saw employees make their choices and advance in Non-Union companies. The Union model was set up for life-long employment by force with the same company. It was employee-centered and ignored the consumers and the laws of economics and no longer exists.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader