Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/48993
Union values include solidarity with other unions Pro-Union and Pro-Football: How to support unions at your next tailgate or game party - by American Rights at Work, www.AmericanRightsAtWork.org Reprinted with permission Understandably, when fewer and fewer people have had direct experi- ence with a union, there's less of a chance they see unions as key to rebuild- ing America and the middle class. Y ou can help clear up myths and help shed light on what unions are all about. In fact, game day is a great place to start creating a bigger union cheering section. MYTH: There's nothing made in the USA anymore, especially not by unions. FACT: Union-made products are all around us and at affordable prices. Chances are you've hosted a union- made tailgate without even know- ing it. • Snacks – Doritos, Lays, Crunch & Munch, Corn Nuts, Oreos, Ghirardelli Chocolates, Kraft snack products, Wise snacks, Snyder of Berlin, Planter's Nuts • Meats – Hot dogs: Oscar Meyer, Nathan's, Hebrew National, Ball Park, Hormel; Sausages & Brats: Johnsonville, Armour, Eckrich, Poultry: Butterball, Healthy Choice, Hormel, Smithfield, Tyson • Condiments – Heinz ketchup, French's mustard, Gulden's mus- tard, Land O'Lakes butter, Open Pit BBQ sauces, Pace salsa and picante sauce, Vlasic pickles • Soft Drinks – Coke and Sprite products • Juices – Welch's, Minute Maid • Beers – Anheuser Busch, Budweiser, Busch, Icehouse, Labatt's Blue, Leinenkugel's, Michelob, Miller, Molson, Pabst, Rolling Rock • Footballs – Don't forget to play catch at halftime, with a football made by Wilson. The game balls used in professional games are made by union workers in Ohio. BONUS: You can feed and entertain your friends and family at a tailgate or in your living room and support good jobs by procuring these union- made, USA-made snacks and bever- ages. MYTH: Professional athletes don't need unions. FACT: All workers deserve a voice on the job. • Players' unions have given the athletes that entertain and amaze us a fair share of the revenue they create and help protect them on and off the field. • The National Football League Players Association and the Major League Baseball Players Association, for instance, fight to protect the health and safety of the players who put their bodies on the line for the team. Their efforts have improved player healthcare cover- age and helped implement needed protections for injured players. • Because of the players' unions, retired players are not left behind. Unions give the retired players who built the industry pensions and healthcare coverage. • By uniting as a group, the players form a needed counter-balance to the owners. When discussing rule changes, scheduling matters, disci- plinary issues, and the future of the game, the players' unions give the players a voice. • Like our sporting heroes, many stadium workers that help make our fan experience so enjoyable are union members. These seasonal employees have better job security and wages because of their unions. MYTH: Unions are bad for job creation. FACT: Good, union jobs mean a stronger economy, and that means more jobs. • This myth is coming straight from the same corporations that ran our economy into the ground. Now they're taking advantage of 16 Nov/Dec 2011 DSEA ACTION! our financial worries to grab an even bigger slice of the pie. • It's just plain wrong to make working Americans foot the bill for Wall Street's party. And it's also bad for the economy. Because when workers can't afford the products they produce, consumer spending takes a serious hit, and the econo- my does, too. • But when workers can bargain for family-sustaining pay and bene- fits, consumer spending increases. The result is a stronger economy— one that creates jobs and enables people to work their way into the middle class. MYTH: Unions only care about their members. FACT: Unions are fighting to improve the lives of all workers. • It's easy to forget that we have unions to thank for a lot of things we take for granted today in today's workplaces: the minimum wage, the 8-hour work day, child labor laws, health and safety standards, and even the weekend. • Today, unions across the country are on the frontlines advocating for basic workplace reforms like increases in the minimum wage, and pushing lawmakers to require paid sick leave. • Studies show that a large union presence in an industry or region can raise wages even for non-union workers. That means more con- sumer spending, and a stronger economy for us all. • A recent Harvard University study revealed that the rising income inequality of the last three decades directly correlates to the decline in union membership. • So it's no wonder that most Americans (61%) believe that "labor unions are necessary to pro- tect the working person," according to Pew's most recent values survey. What's In It For Me Please join DSEA & NEA Member Benefits for an enlightening seminar on how to get the most for your dues dollars and other ways to save money in this economy! Wednesday, February 1st—5:30-7:00 pm DSEA Dover Office or Thursday, February 2nd—5:30-7:00 pm DSEA Newark Office FREE to DSEA members and their spouses. **ADVANCED** REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED Please contact Tammy Wagner, at (302) 734-5834 or (866) 734-5834 or email her at tammy.wagner@dsea.org to register! www.dsea.org