Over the last 20 years corporations have gained more power over our political process and have demonized workers through their efforts to organize and have been very successful in doing so. I think Labor has lost some power, but it's obvious that big corporate interests have gained considerably more power and have a big influence on what our elected officials do. They use the threat of job loss which is very effective.

Labor in Washington still yields power. However, this year, business wasn't threatening loss of jobs - they were losing jobs. Business cannot provide jobs if they cannot keep the doors open. The State Legislature had to recognize that this year. It wasn't all about Boeing. Yes, they are an element, but the small businesses in this state make up 80% of the employers and they began closing their doors. Labor needs to stop blaming and start helping recover those jobs. They still don't appear to get it. We're in a recession of global proportion. Nobody is making this stuff up.

Well, I have to say, I am very pleased to see that after the unions thew all thier weight behind the Dems, it turned 'round and bit 'em in the backside. This country is founded on ethical and rational thinking. Yall voted with your wallets, how ethical or rational was that?
Thomas Jefferson said "The people of every country are the only guardians of thier own rights and are the only insturments wich can be used for thier distruction. It is an axiom in my mind that our liberty can never be safe but in the hands of the people themselfs, that too of the people with a certian degree of instruction."
Have you learned your lesson yet?

As a member of the teamsters I am angered over how union leadership keeps pushing their liberal agenda which will continue to push companies like Boeing out of this state. I watched tonight as two union officials were interviewed. Once again the typical anti business mentality which is costing jobs in this state was touted. How biased was the report as I never even saw the other side represented. I hear it everyday from my union coworkers who are brainwashed and don't know a thing about economics 101. The representative from the services organization was aphalled that they couldn't pass an increass in THE SALES TAX??? How out of touch with workers in this state are these unions???? They want to give us raises on one hand and then take away from the working person by voting for legislation and politicians who take it out the other end with taxes?? Don't they get it, Boeing is slowly moveing out of this state because it's too expensive to operate. They can make all the political threats they want against any political group, but we all know that they would vote for Hitler before they would vote for any Republican, and the democrats know this. Where are they going to go? We don't have the money in this state to continue giveing out raises to working groups who solely depend on taxes for their income. Unions think we can just get money out of thin air. The rich are leaving this state. The unions are calling boeings bluff and all the while boeing is slowly setting up in other states. Has anybody ever thought that maybe it's the unions who have overstepped what they were originally intended for?

+2 for Todd! Look at that there, that mans got him some common sense! Todd for Gov'ner!

General Motors had unionized high labor costs which was a significant factor in their demise. Greed, no matter where it comes from, will untimately crash the system - be it corporate or union. It will be interesting to see if GM and Chrysler can succeed in the coming months and years. There will be no more second stimulus to those companies. They should have been left alone to fail and reorganize. Bankruptcy is a valuable tool and bailouts should not happen. The American taxpayer will be left holding the bag if and when the stock market crashes - AGAIN. You heard it here folks.

The only good thing that the unions did was work for a safe working enviroment. That task has been turned over to government agencies that have turned it into a 3 ring circus. The rest of the stuff that unions have done and continue to do are worthless. Sure, the workers get better pay. But the cost of the car they build has gone up just as much or more, so they can still only afford the same car, but it is a clunker because the reaearch and development money went to wages and benefits. Job security? Right. That is called don't be a slug and the company will still have you tomorrow.