Why are so many Americans fearful/resentful of unions? [View all]

[alp227]

It seems that many of the "LIMITED GOVERNMENT"/"INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY" people out there are fine with being bossed around and strangled as long as it's their own boss at work putting the worker's survival on the line. Which is why you see those "at will employment" and "right to work" laws in Republican-controlled states (especially the former Confederate states in the Southeast and sadly former industrial states in the Great Lakes Region).

That's my intro to my post about public reaction to the Bay Area transit strike. Some of the comments after this Los Angeles Times article about the strike http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bart-strike-workers-20130701,0,1582152.story

I agree with everyone's post on here. All they do is complain, go on strikes, and make everyone else miserable. Not all employers give their employee raises nor do they need to provide excellent benefits. It's up to the individual to educate themselve and land a job that pays them well. If you're unhappy with the company you work for or you think you worth more than what you're paid, then find another job! That's what real hard working people do. They don't settle and they definitely don't pout. I HATE UNION WORKERS!!!

There are many people who can take over ur easy job easily, There are so many people who are unemployed and would kill for such job with a good pay.

For those of you who have observed the change in America after the Reagan years (Thom Hartmann has done so brilliantly), you probably aren't surprised that the general public lacks sympathy for union workers. I've seen online comments reacting to this strike actually say things like "unions are outdated" and "unions should be banned".

I wonder why people think that way.

Is it because they're conditioned to submit, submit, submit to what their bosses give 'em and just "be good workers" instead of standing up for their rights? Listen to this Hartmann caller and figure it out:

Yep that caller really said "be a good worker" is the way for workers to get their rights.

Or do people who trash union workers not understand that because of people who went on strike for the past century or so EVERY worker out there gets benefits like 8-hour workdays, sick leave, etc.?

Is there a sort of authoritarianism that upper class Americans have or something? Arrogance? All their talking points are, basically:
- Get another job instead of going on strike or complaining
- Be a good worker