Unions Make Bernie Madoff Look like an Angel

Mar 13, 2011 by Jack Nolan

My neighbor is a Union Carpenter. We met 5 years ago when we moved here. One of the very first things I learned about my neighbor is that he was going to retire at 59 1/2, and that was less than 2 years away.

Over the next several months we got to know each other. He was raised in home with good morals and values, and he was also raised to be a democrat. One of these generational Union worker ideas. His father was and his father was, so he was too. None of this seemed odd, or even silly, it actually made a lot of sense and he was happy with where he was in life. When we discussed politics for the most part on the major issues we agreed, and the smaller ones we agreed to disagree or just drop it all together.

Then 2008 happened, for most of us, we had no idea what was to come next. What came next for my neighbor was shocking to me. Early Sunday morning we were both outside admiring our lawns and we started drifting across the grass to say hello. He had a grim look on his face, and know that he was a very happy guy, you know less than 8 or so months until retirement, move to the lake etc, so I knew it wasn’t good. We exchanged pleasantries and he wound up and told me he was not sure when he was going to be able to retire now. “How is this possible?!” I asked. The Union didn’t have the funding to let him retire. Not yet at least, but maybe soon. For a guy that had been counting the days for years, this was a terrible blow.

How can a Union guarantee retirement and not fulfill their word? Where are the protests? Where are the lawsuits? Where are the 300,000+ people bused from all over the country? It just boggles my mind. He is still 100% Union?!?!? He doesn’t know when he will retire! And cheering for Union rights? This is exactly the same as fleecing someones 401k or IRA, yet no union worker, who by the way is ready to protest for weeks on end, sleep on floors in buildings, strike at any moment, not one has stood up against ‘their’ own Union

As a small business owner I am shocked. Shocked in the same way, from the outside, like when I saw what that scumbag Bernie Madoff did to everyone. It is despicable. Union workers, you have people to hold accountable. If you want your Unions, take back control of them, until then you are the biggest cows in the field.

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Bernie Madoff
Editorial
Editorial Column
Tea Party
Union

April 10, 2011

I don’t get it guys. The neighbor had looked toward his own pre-determined goal of age 59 1/2 not that he was being forced to retire by the union. So don’t twist the facts. I also think the point is well taken on the fact that funds do not guarantee retirement unless you, the investor direct those monies to guaranteed funds. It’s personal responsibility to either know or get educated to make good choices with one’s own money in a retirement fund in or out of the union. However, if we are talking mandatory union pensions we are looking at an entirely different matter. And if we are blaming capitalism for the stock market dive in 2008 as an excuse perhaps we ought to look further at the socialistic mandates that Chris Dodd and Barney Frank single handedly forced on the mortgage industry that is still causing MAJOR problems now and in the future. Enough blame to go around but no personal responsibility. And guess who the children of today are watching? And finally the point is made but never addressed on the action of the union lambs or should I say lack of action on union accountability. I didn’t like being forced into a union when I was in high school teaching and I want to make my own choice now according to my own personal cost/benefit analysis of joining a union or not. And I want no guff from anyone should I choose the latter.

5 Comments

John Birch

March 15, 2011

Since when do Unions decide when you can retire?

- TeaPartyCheer
  
  March 15, 2011
  
  You are forced to do everything else with a Union. That was his end date, when he was 59 1/2. The sad part was he was working all that overtime to pad his retirement. All for not. Since when do Unions allow there people to do anything without their express written permission?
  
Jeff Martin

March 19, 2011

The carpenters union doesn’t force anyone to retire at any age. That is a lie. That is when he is ‘eligible’. If the fund is not fully funded that is the responsibility of the employer. If the fund is mis-managed that is the responsibility of the union and the employer. If the fund just lost its value it is probably due to the un-fettered, under regulated free market capitalist barbarians on Wall St

- Bill Hanley
  
  March 28, 2011
  
  Jeff Martin you are 100% correct. I applaud you!
  
April 10, 2011

I don’t get it guys. The neighbor had looked toward his own pre-determined goal of age 59 1/2 not that he was being forced to retire by the union. So don’t twist the facts. I also think the point is well taken on the fact that funds do not guarantee retirement unless you, the investor direct those monies to guaranteed funds. It’s personal responsibility to either know or get educated to make good choices with one’s own money in a retirement fund in or out of the union. However, if we are talking mandatory union pensions we are looking at an entirely different matter. And if we are blaming capitalism for the stock market dive in 2008 as an excuse perhaps we ought to look further at the socialistic mandates that Chris Dodd and Barney Frank single handedly forced on the mortgage industry that is still causing MAJOR problems now and in the future. Enough blame to go around but no personal responsibility. And guess who the children of today are watching? And finally the point is made but never addressed on the action of the union lambs or should I say lack of action on union accountability. I didn’t like being forced into a union when I was in high school teaching and I want to make my own choice now according to my own personal cost/benefit analysis of joining a union or not. And I want no guff from anyone should I choose the latter.