Teamsters aid locked out employees at U.S. Borax in Boron

If it were not for the Union Workers of America, namely the Teamsters Union we would not have the luxuries we have today. So many take it for granted. I ask you, how many of you would be willing to travel to a bus depot, train depot, port, shipping dock, etc...to pickup your daily living supplies such as food, paper goods, clothing, necessities? If it weren't for the Teamsters Union you'd all be doing just that instead of conveniently going to the department, drug, and grocery stores...after all its the TRUCKERS OF AMERICA "THE TEAMSTERS" THAT HAUL IT IN SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO! AS FOR ME! I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT MY FATHER AND UNCLES WERE LIFETIME MEMBERS OF THE TEAMSTERS UNION AND I SALUTE THE UNIONS OF AMERICA FOR THEY ARE OUR BREAD AND BUTTER! AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN LEAVE CAUSE NO ONE ASKED YOU TO STAY! NOW SIT DOWN, SHUT UP AND QUIT YOUR WHINING LIKE A BABY!

My mother and father were teamsters and they hated the union the entire time. Do you honestly think the unions are helping to keep jobs here in America? Don't be silly. Who do you think ruined Ford, GM and Chrysler? You guessed it, UAW. Have you read the domestic vs foreign content information on a new cars window sticker lately? How much of that is American? There are very few vocations where I feel a union is necessary. Aircraft manufacturing for one instance. Any vocation that takes massive amounts of training and schooling I can see the workforce needing collective bargaining protection but to bag and ring up groceries? Are you kidding me? I don't care who you are or how good you are, NOBODY deserves $28 an hour for running a cash register and bagging groceries. Who is silly enough to take a remedial job and try to make a career out of it is beyond me. Next they will try to unionize McDonalds and Burger King. Unless you have a highly skilled person who has a large investment in training and an industry that needs to retain a pool of skilled workers to apply where needed I feel a union is nothing but an entity that is very similar to the government. We all know whenever the government gets involved that things take longer, aren't as good and most of all just plain cost more for no reason.

Hmmm mark your comment " Don't be stupid, the teamsters aren't there out of the pure kindness of their hearts." Really hit me hard,, When my brotehrs and sisters are out on a picket line or locked out I do give out of the kindness of my heart. I give because good working families are doing with out so they can have a better life for themselves and others who follow in thier footsteps. you talk about the Teamsters like a big corporate conglomorate,, we are not. We are people fighting for whats right, we are fighting for the American dream. If you keep letting companies run over teh working man and keep taking good paying jobs out of this country,,,, ask yourself this. Where will your children work and who will they work for? Will they work for thier family and be employed by the company? OR Will they work for the company and hope thier family is ok ? Maybe your dream is to wrok in a factory or for a company where you cant even afford the product you produce but I know its not mine.

I strongly encourage everyone to do an internet search on Rio Tinto, with added keywords such as "human rights" "atrocities" "lawsuit" "scandal", etc. and educate yourself before you bother to post. It's not about any union - it's about exploitation. Someone has to stand up for human decency! I've never worked in a "union shop", and I've had some really lousy jobs with bad conditions, below minimum wage pay, but my bosses were not in the top 10 companies in the world, and would NEVER have thought of doing this to me. Rio Tinto is gobbling up U.S. land, deals and companies at an alarming rate, with the intent to run things the way they are accustomed to doing business in other countries - above the law.

Rio Tinto has not been having "hard times", far from it. Would you sign your American rights away for a buck? If these people were willing to give up their rights, they could just move to another country, with lower living expenses. If you think it's a wonderful idea to pay (from your own paycheck)for your employer's fines, lawsuits and expenses when they break the law, why don't you just sign one of these yourself and give it to your boss: http://www.boraxminers.com/contract.pdf by insisting these people lie down and get run over by this global mining giant, you are damaging the working climate for all Americans. Who's next?

It isn't that people are angry it is that people don't see the Teamsters alterior motives. All they are doing is trying to get more union dues. I worked for a union once in my live and I will never work for one again. Unions feel absolutely no obligation to supply a competent worker, they just want a body there to get paid and in turn pay in more dues. Dues just go to proliferate the unions political agendas. Why do you think the AFL/CIO are always in the pockets of the Democrats? Don't be stupid, the teamsters aren't there out of the pure kindness of their hearts. It seems Unions and government agencies all think that when the economy is in the toilet that they should get raises and more benefits. It doesn't work that way people. Nobody should be immune to a downturn in the economy, it should be spread over everyone.

Would like to say THANK YOU to channel 17 for their POSITIVE T.V.Coverage....And to ALL THE SUPPORT FROM THE OTHER FAMILYS AND UNIONS IT WAS A WONDERFUL DAY KNOWING THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD STANDING NEXT TO US AS GREAT AMERICANS THANKX AGAIN!And for the ones that have nothing positive in their lives.I am sorry for you that you have not been blessed with happiness,in anyway shape or form.Otherwise.....Story's of People Supporting People and AMERICANS helping AMERICANS Would not make you SO ANGRY! Maybe its time for change! :~}

Go figure jmabbot888,, a dam scab would have to post on this. Go see your local pimp he will put you and you mom to work.. after all take what you can get !

What the unions need to understand is these are hard times right now, take what you can get. There are MANY people willing to work for less that what the Borax mine is offering. Same goes for the ones standing outside the grocery stores, most of those don't even work there. Is that Borax mine hiring nonunion people? If so where do I apply?