Link

   

How would this possibly stop unfair payment for cheap labour? One huge union would only serve to piss people off no matter where they are.

And do these people really believe they can get Corporations like Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, etc. to give up their ruthless ways?

Hell no! While it's a great idea to stick up for the little guy, we've let corporations grow to be too big and too powerful, that there's no way these people will ever be able to accomplish this goal...

   

S-su.... super union?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I hate Unions!

*loads rifle like some Albertan-Hick*

We can end the problem of corperations rather easily.

McDonlads and Coca-Cola is goign down....

   

Without unions, we'd all be working six days a week with no benefits, crappy pay, no vacations, and no labour standards, Mr. Canada. If we get rid of unions, we'll be back to that level again in no time flat.

I'm not sure the idea of a global super-union is feasible. If you raise pay in Mexico to ten bucks an hour and in Asian countries to five bucks an hour, we'll still have trouble competing with them.

The idea is a response to globalization though, and, if managed properly, could be worth a shot. I think the secret would be to deal with workplace conditions, workers rights, and environmental matters more than wages, at least at first.

   

A global union? I have no idea how it can work, I'm not even sure if I like the idea, but it sure as hell is a sign of our times.

   

I meant National Unions. Sure, Work Unions, whatever, but I hate anything that sets rules and dictates between countries. Like the UN, Free Trade, and anything Non-Military related.


I wonder if any Cons will be climbing over this Out-Of-Context quote,

   

Good luck to them I say. Although perhaps focusing on the big expensive Western countries (UK, Germany and US) is probably just the first step, as these countries don't pose as much of a threat to each other as the Asian and Latin American economies.

I'm curious to see how they can create a global union that includes developing countries, and manages that imbalance from within their ranks. Not to mention that unionisation in developing countries is relatively low, and will mean that the unions there are unlikely to exert much power. A conundrum, but I'm sure there are wiser heads than mine trying to figure it out.

   

We have to have rules between nations. Without them, it's nothing but a race to the bottom. The thing is what you do with those rules. You can either raise the standard of living for as many as possible while protecting the environment and working for human rights, or you suck up the money for a few billionaires.



I'd say that's about as untrue as a stereotype can get, Avro. The NDP takes a different view of the global economy and recognizes that there are costs such as the environment, education, human rights etc. that the Conservatives and Liberals only pay lip service to if they recognize them at all, but people within the NDP are fully aware of how the global economy works.

That we don't agree with the neo-liberal/neo-conservative economic policies followed by those who would put money before the well-being of human beings and the environment is not a sign of not understanding the economy, global or otherwise, but understanding that economy well enough to see the massive problems with it.



I have my doubts too...both that they can do it and that they can make it into a good thing. I do think that success will come more from pushing environmental concerns and human rights than wages though. Something that seldom gets mentioned when talking about globalization is that it's far cheaper to operate in developing world not just because of low wages, but because there are so few restrictions.

   

Do you really believe that the world's most powerful and largest corporations will ever allow this to happen?

   

I believe that it's worth fighting for. Even if we only mitigate the anti-democratic, anti-human rights agenda of the largest corporations a little bit, it still helps people.

   

But do you know how much power the corporations have? Many of them can influence heavily what media stories make it to air or not.

   

I'm aware of how much power they have, Arctic. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't be challenged though. It also doesn't mean that victories can't be won, sometimes small and sometimes large.

It's kind of like when you're at the pool hall and the sharks show up. You can go home and watch TV, or you can lay your money on the rail and take your best shot. There's never much on TV, and when you beat the sharks they tend to go someplace else for a few days.

   

YAY!!!!
This is fucking GREAT!!!
There is a future afterall!
Lets see how the Aristocracy handles a world wide strike!
I actually discussed the need of a Global Union with a friend of mine a while back. This is AWESOME!