I wrote about how Starbucks could have responded on my blog – http://jeffrutherford.com/using-social-media-for-crisis-pr-what-starbucks-could-have-done-differently

Secondly, all the palm-greasing a union does is nothing compared to what corporations do (the numbers are staggeringly in the favor of every industry when compared to that industry’s unions), and while I agree on principle with the inappropriateness of it, it would be stupid and counter to their aims (good or bad) not to play politics.

Furthermore, all the rights we enjoy in this country as workers we owe to unions. Corporations are entitities that exist for one reason and one reason only: to make money. There is no reason for them to insure safe working conditions, pay fair wages, or obey any law or concept of morality whatsoever unless their is a threat to their profits. This isn’t prejudice, this is fact. Thus, for every benefit we derive from them should be also approached with a healthy skepticism as to their methods for improving our lives.

There is nothing necessarily bad about this, but it is ridiculously naive to believe “voting with our dollars” always works; the rules a corporation has to play by, the resources available to them, and money spent to alter/impress consumer opinion and create an image all leave the individual at a disadvantage. Beyond that, it privileges those with more dollars with more power. If that isn’t contradictory of the democratic values this country was founded on, I don’t know what would qualify.*

As for unions being the driving force of inflation, I can’t help but laugh. Such an over-simplification betrays ignorance to the highest degree of economics. At least I have the good sense not to open my mouth on something which I do not fully understand.

*Note: I don’t buy into ridiculous hegemonic ideas such as this, but when in Rome . . .

This is only one reason why I will NEVER buy a new car, especially one that is American-made.

Union goons’ intimidation techniques are well-known, and not just a part of ‘history’… as is known how the hard-working employees who are extorted to pay dues whether they want to be in the union or not have no say as to where their money is spent; whether on Union officials little vacation junkets, ostensibly for a ‘secret vote’ or ‘important meeting’, or on greasing the palm of some oily politician who is another slimeball on the take from the unions to vote the way that will strengthen their position and suck more from the American economy like the leeches they are.

Exhibit A: Obama and the UAW and GM…

Unions can go jump into the deepest lake in the world over in Russia… where they actually might NEED a union…

Oh, and I was the wife of a union worker… the union SUCKED! It sucked it’s members (forced – my husband and other of his co-workers never WANTED to be in the union, they were FORCED) dry for their union dues and then, when there WAS a strike, only paid them $36/week in strike pay, when my husband walked the picket line on a graveyard shift in winter. The strike pay didn’t even cover our electric bill.

Oh, and I will be posting this opinion on our local newspaper’s website as well. Don’t like my opinion? Then I guess you’ll be working hard with Obama to rescind my 1st Amendment rights, along with my 2nd Amendment rights and many others…

If this post is a forum to educate people about Starbucks practices that deserve changing, it’s a failure.