tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post7440439415830886599..comments2024-03-28T15:48:11.151-04:00Comments on The Philosopher's Stone: UNIONSRobert Paul Wolffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-43810153936911478472011-02-24T00:48:51.908-05:002011-02-24T00:48:51.908-05:00Thanks, wallyverr! I will check those out.Thanks, wallyverr! I will check those out.Mark Povichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05099525770546242908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-24230118073568137872011-02-20T16:13:40.493-05:002011-02-20T16:13:40.493-05:00My original comment was poorly worded. My apologi...My original comment was poorly worded. My apologies.<br /><br />I can't put it into sufficient context for this discussion.Schimpfinatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03348844018944903352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-12106297355241421622011-02-20T01:33:26.145-05:002011-02-20T01:33:26.145-05:00Mark (mainly),
There is a good and readable book...Mark (mainly), <br /><br />There is a good and readable book, by two mainstream economists who take a broader view of unions than is typical in microeconomics textbooks: Freeman & Medoff, What Do Unions Do. <br /><br />Another more technical book is Pencavel, Labor Markets Under Trade Unionism. A non-technical case study of Pencavel's approach applied to the UK (he is originally English) is in "The Surprising Retreat of Union Britain" available at <br />www.nber.org/chapters/c6748.pdf<br /><br />Both these books are a bit dated (as am I), but should provide a good starting point.wallyverrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358344785499490511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-15039748964794256982011-02-19T09:46:46.205-05:002011-02-19T09:46:46.205-05:00Some Union politics is disheartening. I also thin...Some Union politics is disheartening. I also think that US unions concentrate too much on the firm when they have more power over against the state. (They higher more case workers than organizers.) <br /><br />That said, a union contract tends to increase professionalism and raise wages. This, alongside their legislative agenda, tends to benefit non-union workers. Unions always support minimum-wage increases sooner than others. <br /><br />The Marxist critiques that are out there are worth keeping in mind if you are in an organization that is independent of labor. They do not provide a reason to wish them ill. That would be making the perfect the enemy of the good.Murfmenschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00031877154740991965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-17362679044745936572011-02-19T01:13:22.721-05:002011-02-19T01:13:22.721-05:00Painfully true story at the end. I study political...Painfully true story at the end. I study political theory in a political science department, and the forms of obscure, pedantic and unconnected thought that can crop up are a little different... but the outcome can be similar enough.Justin Muellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09649716384040634142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-15095321619793370342011-02-18T15:10:03.275-05:002011-02-18T15:10:03.275-05:00What you say is just not true. Where on earth did...What you say is just not true. Where on earth did you get this notion? Do you think fire fighters, teachers, policemen, nurses, EMTs, automobile workers, steel workers, and sanitation workers are lazy, greedy, and indifferent to work? As compared to whom? I was a member of a union for as many years as there was a union to join. I don't recognize myself in your offhand slanders.Robert Paul Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-22661421058662145612011-02-18T14:48:49.515-05:002011-02-18T14:48:49.515-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Schimpfinatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03348844018944903352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-15616995822326208232011-02-18T14:10:34.059-05:002011-02-18T14:10:34.059-05:00Well, Marx has also become a pejorative in mainstr...Well, Marx has also become a pejorative in mainstream discourse.Amatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07392156407025334931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-69923533221306987352011-02-18T04:02:16.694-05:002011-02-18T04:02:16.694-05:00Thanks a lot, Prof. Wolff. Given your command of M...Thanks a lot, Prof. Wolff. Given your command of Marxian and neo-classical economics, could you say a little about the economics of unions - The old criticisms about unions becoming monopolies, unionization causing decreases in wages for non-union workers, unionization causing unemployment, inefficiency, etc? Or at least point us to a good discussion of these issues?Mark Povichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05099525770546242908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-33764510737963781732011-02-18T00:10:26.606-05:002011-02-18T00:10:26.606-05:00I don't watch a lot news commentary but Rachel...I don't watch a lot news commentary but Rachel Maddow did a very good job spelling out what this was about. Several right-wingers (I can't remember the sources) stated that the SEIU should be the next target after ACORN. <br /><br />Intellectual analysis of the Dem's losses in the last congressional election always leave out the destruction of ACORN, an organization that turned out a large number of low-income and minority voters. Turn-out is a very labor-intensive job. "Message" is wrapped-up by PR machines. <br /><br />I still am chafed by how weak the support was for ACORN on the left. <br /><br />I love the Frankfurt School because they sought to make the public its audience. Habermas' newspaper columns are very approachable and help his audience make the move over to his theoretical work. Adorno had a regular series of radio lectures. We could use some of that.Murfmenschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00031877154740991965noreply@blogger.com