From: cyan@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
Newsgroups: alt.drugs,alt.society.civil-liberty
Subject: Re: [Republicans] On Civil Liberties and Drugs
Keywords: New-Speak
Date: 14 Oct 92 17:48:10 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

In article <bw3ady.azq@wang.com> fitz@wang.com (Tom Fitzgerald) writes:
>>> I guess you agree, then, that employers are entitled to require sexual
>>> favors in order to grant employment, that they should freely be able to
>>> discriminate on any basis, including race, color, creed, religion, etc.,
>
>jwh@citi.umich.edu (Jim Howe) writes:
>
>> And just how many employees do you think would work for a company that
>> did these sorts of things?  How long do you think the company would
>> stay in business?
>
>It seems to be a popular belief among engineers, students and some other
>professionals, that employees will never work for a company unless it meets
>some wonderful standards.  The other 90% of the workforce knows better.
>Most members of the workforce will work anyplace that offers them a job,
>will be sitting at their desk/assembly-line at 8:00 AM exactly, wear a tie
>or uniform and address their superiors as "sir".
>
>Industry is full of sweatshops like the chicken-processing plant that
>caught fire a few months back, killing several dozen workers.  People work
>at places like that voluntarily, because there are no better places to
>work.  They can't just quit........................................
>
>Please, people, learn a little more about the labor market before you
>assume that all workplaces are like software engineering houses.  Pay
>careful attention to the history of mines, factories and sweatshops in the
>19th century before the fair-labor laws came into being.  If nothing else,
>ask the people who clean the floors at night if they'd quit on principle if
>they didn't like the way the company was run.
>
>-- 
>Tom Fitzgerald   Wang Labs       fitz@wang.com   "I went to the universe today;
>1-508-967-5278   Lowell MA, USA                   It was closed...."

Excellent post Tom! Most of the workers in the US are caught between a rock and
a hard place nowadays, and alot of employers KNOW this and EXPLOIT it. I've
worked for several places that were as you described above. As you stated,
the people that work in the sweatshops will put up with almost anything because
there's not many alternatives for them. It's my belief that the past 2
Republican Administrations have created the climate for these sweatshops to
flourish. They were supported by the big business lobbies that wanted to
see this happen. Those of us who are in the lower middle class earning bracket,
on down, are loosing the battle just to make ends meet. We don't have the
latitude of choice to just quit a job, because there isn't much in the way of
"living wage" jobs in the market. You either stick it out and put up with
whatever your employer dictates to you (like pissing in a bottle) or quit
and let your family go down the tubes. Great choice, isn't it :-( ?

I feel very fortunate to be working for an employer that treats their workers
fairly. This may change though because budget cuts are cutting alot of jobs
here. I dread having to try to find another job in the current market. I've
worked in a few sweatshops and don't relish the idea of going back to one.
If a sweatshop job is all that is offered, it's either work there or starve.

Charlie
Newsgroups: alt.drugs