EOC "Up in the Air"

In the movie, Up in the Air, George Clooney’s character has a very unique skill. His unique skill is the ability to fire workers and make them feel that new doors are opening for them. Three skills that he uses to benefit the employee are persuasion, apathy and optimism. These three skills help George Clooney’s character to convince the employee they are going to be okay and begin a new path while encouraging them to follow their dreams rather than comfort them.

If I were in the same position as George Clooney’s character, I would have a very difficult time. I do not think that I would be very good at telling people they were being let go. I do not like to break spirits or feel any form of guilt, which are two consequences of such a job.

If I were the employee being let go, I think that I would be much like the characters in the movie. I would not freak out but I would be very frustrated and upset. Swearing at the person firing me would most likely occur. I think that both ends of such an action would be difficult for me to handle.

BOC: Getting Fired

I, personally, have not had a firing experience. I have not been fired and I have not fired someone. I have, however, come into contact with several people and families that have been affected by firings and lay offs. One person I remember in particular was a friend of mine’s father, Craig. He was working at the University of Missouri when I lived in Columbia, Missouri where the school is located. I saw the trouble that her family went through as the process took effect. The first step was the news. Craig found out about three months before the lay off occurred that he was going to be let go. The school needed to save money and was laying off some of the scientists in the environmental department that he worked in. As Craig looked for a new job throughout the three months, it was very hard to find work. After the three months, Craig still had not found another job in his career field. He ended up taking a full time management position at a local grocery store, Hy-Vee. The family struggled and my friend and his mother worked more hours to try and compensate for the depleted income. It has been very difficult for the family, especially Craig since he is no longer working with his passion. Lay offs and firings can be very intense and difficult and can often cause people to fall into a depressed state.

EOC "Personal Freedom vs. Union Membership"

If I wanted to work for a company that required me to be in a union, I would seriously consider how badly I want the job. If it is a great opportunity and a job that means a lot to me, I would most likely join the union as asked. The reason I feel this way is because a union is great to work under if it is beneficial to you. Benefits include increase compensation, equality, seniority, consistency and employee representation. With advantages like these, a job that you are looking to profoundly excel in is one to choose.

If the union called a strike over an issue I did not agree with, I would look for another job. It is not worth risking the incredible loss of pay in a strike. Strikes are a bad idea for many reasons. One, you are not guaranteed your job back and two, you will take the loss of however many months pay the strike takes. I would take a lesser paying job before I would sit for a strike I do not stand for.

If I HAD to belong to get a paycheck, issues that concern me would include incentives based on seniority, cost of union dues, majority rules and competition. I would look into these issues because they affect my paycheck and how well I do in the company.

BOC "History of Labor Unions In US"

“Most citizens of the United States take for granted labor laws which protect them from the evils of unregulated industry. Perhaps the majority of those who argue for ‘free enterprise’ and the removal of restrictions on capitalist corporations are unaware that over the course of this country's history, workers have fought and often died for protection from capitalist industry. In many instances, government troops were called out to crush strikes, at times firing on protesters.”[1]

The resource of the quote above consists of a timeline that outlines several important events in the history of labor unions in the United States. The first event is placed in 1806 when the union of Philadelphia Journeymen Cordwainers were convicted of and bankrupted by charges of criminal conspiracy after a strike for higher wages, setting a precedent by which the U.S. government would combat unions for years to come. Lots of similar events continue to occur after that year until mid-September of 1989. Many of the occurring events deal with issues such as working hours and wages. Many str

ikes ended in blood.

“Crafts that formed local unions in the late 18th and early 19th cent. included printers, carpenters, tailors, and weavers. Their chief purpose was to keep up craft standards and to prevent employers from hiring untrained workers and importing foreign labor.”[2]

“Although unions during the Revolutionary period were mostly temporary, their movements set the stage for the “modern” unionization of workers. The unionization would lead to many of the benefits that workers enjoy today.”[3]

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[1] http://www.lutins.org/labor.html

[2] labor union: In the United States — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/bus/A0861691.html#ixzz18CVu5B6Z

[3] http://ellerbruch.nmu.edu/classes/cs255w02/cs255students/GMURRAY/p11/history.pdf