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Breaking Bad with Twitter to Celebrate Unions on Labor Day

It’s a Union Tweetfest, peeps. Because nothing says Labor Day like honoring and celebrating this country’s proud heritage of unions. Union workers are the backbone of this country. They span from steel mill workers to Hollywood writers, nurses to auto workers. These are the Real Americans, working hard to provide for their families. The union created the middle class. Unions helped pass pro worker legislation like the Fair Minimum Wage Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Union Members. Org says:

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“…This Labor Day weekend, union members across the entertainment, sports, and news media industries are uniting with a common purpose—to tweet about the advantages of being a #unionmember for them and for workers in each sector of the economy, all in 140 characters or less.

The Labor Day Tweet-a-Thon is a joint project of workers’ rights group American Rights at Work, the country’s leading entertainment unions, Actors’ Equity, AFTRA, and Screen Actors Guild, and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Just a few of those participating this year include your fellow union members CSI: NY star Hill Harper, Breaking Bad star R.J. Mitte, Grammy winning Foo Fighters’ lead guitarist Chris Shiflett, award-winning broadcast journalist and reporter for KCBS in San Francisco Bob Butler, Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, Minnesota outfielder Michael Cuddyer, Texas pitcher C.J. Wilson, and Actors’ Equity Association members from across the country.”

They all have one thing in common: they’re union members. Without unions, we would be no different than …well, what the GOP would have us be. The haves and the have nots.

Republicans not only oppose unionization because it’s bad for the complete monopolistic control they wish owners to have over labor, but it’s a also a broadly overarching social point; Republican ideology emphasizes me over we, so they see anything that can help communities whether it be workers or the town you live in as socialism or “evil”.

Unions reduce wage inequality, give workers a voice together via collective bargaining; the only way for those who do not have power to force owners with all of the power to play reasonably fair. Unions provided the backbone of our private healthcare system.

In fact, in last year’s healthcare debate, unions strongly backed a public option and were often the only collective force whose voice could be heard over the screeching of the Tea Party, who ironically seemed concerned with government interfering with their Medicare. Medicare is, of course, a fine example of the power of collectivized union mentality in the healthcare field.

There is also direct relationship between unionization and wages; union members can earn 15-24 percent more than a non-member.

As a part of the union tweet-a-thon, Breaking Bad’s R.J. Mitte tweeted:

“A collective unfied voice is a powerful force im a proud union member. #SAGmember #unionmember tweet for labor!”

“A collective unfied voice is a powerful force im a proud union member”

And note that on July 9, 2010 he also gave props to the crew of Breaking Bad, the hard-working behind the scenes folks who make great shows like Breaking Bad possible:

“And to the Crew of Breaking Bad Congrats and thank you for another great year”

That’s because proud union brothers and sisters stand together, no matter what union they belong to.

Are there problems with unions? Absolutely. Sometimes union leaders operate to prove their might rather than for the good of the union members. Sometimes union leaders don’t take into account changing economic factors and jeopardize the ability of their members to work competitively in a market flooded with cheap non-union labor. It’s a tough balancing act between accommodating a changing economic landscape and standing strong for labors rights. But over all, we need unions or labor would have no place at the table at all.

While there’s been a decline in the union membership, unions still have important role to play in our society. As a union member myself, I have personally seen the benefits of collective bargaining working in the entertainment field. Without my union, I would not have had enforced overtime rules, turn around times, retirement or health benefits.

Republicans like Sarah Palin call union leaders thugs because union leaders are taking a stand for the Real Americans across this great country; People who put in an honest day’s work and deserve to be treated like human beings, instead of disposable commodities. It’s particularly sad to see an honorary member of the Union like Sarah Palin throw her Union brothers and sisters under the bus, but together, united, they will continue the fight.

Unions are the backbone of this country; if America is to recover its manufacturing sector, we’re going to need to embrace manufacturing unions, or we run the risk of becoming a third world economy.

So take a stand for your Union brothers and sisters this Labor Day. Stand strong, united.

When you head to the voting booth this fall, ask yourself, what have the Republicans ever done for the labor movement, except making our airports less safe by breaking up the air traffic control union and by destroying the blue collar economy by policies that destroyed the manufacturing sector.

And with that, I leave you to the indomitable spirit of Norma Rae:

“Norma Rae: Forget it! I’m stayin’ right where I am. It’s gonna take you and the police department and the fire department and the National Guard to get me outta here! “

Happy Labor Day.