JournalInquirer.com

Benefits need protection too
CT@Work
By Leo Canty
Published October 8, 2009

Has the bad economy got you working harder with longer hours and more on-the-job-stress for the same or less pay? Do you go home every day wondering if you’ll have a job tomorrow, even though you’re now doing two jobs? Has your paid time off, bonuses, 401(k) matches, medical benefits, access to the nap room or the company Mercedes been shrunk or lost?

Wait a minute – nap room, Mercedes?

Well, if this happened to you – you’re not alone.

The captains of business and industry are chasing the crown in the competition to steal the title “King of Slicing and Dicing” away from Ron Popeil. Yesiree – wearing their scheme-cooking aprons and sharpening up their wage and benefit Chop-O-Matics, they are hard at work making sure American workers are working harder for less. The free market rules!

The Society for Human Resource Management, recently surveyed 522 human resource professionals regarding 274 benefits that companies offer. The results showed what we already know: benefits are being dropped or frozen in most places. The economic slump is taking its toll on the items most people covet as just reward for their hard work.

That slice-and-dice approach to boost profits is everywhere and that’s not a good thing. Employee morale and productivity are very much tied to how well one is treated at work. While the Chop-O-Matic approach may work for the accountants and next quarter’s returns, the effect and impact on both the company and the workers morale is breeding some tough long term productivity challenges.

The bitter irony is that while the fortunes of the workforce are diminishing, the bosses are getting a boost. According to the AFL-CIO’s Executive Paywatch site, while the economy was tanking last year, CEO benefits (just benefits) grew to $336,248 on average. The bosses, in other words, get well rewarded while gutting their companies, workers and even shareholder gains. Seems to be just a bit out of balance.

So why does this happen? Because we let it. It’s quick, easy and legal.

But there are ways to better balance the workplace economy. Jobs, wages and benefits can be more stable, less stressful and boost morale and productivity. A unionized workplace certainly makes a difference, adding workforce benefit security while preventing wild grabs for profit boosting benefit slashing. Granted, nap rooms or the company Mercedes are not in union contracts; but working family necessities like health care plans, retirement security, paid time off and other benefits are and can be better protected.

Laws can also be enacted to shield people from the dire consequences of unrestrained free-market thinking. Real enforceable rules can uphold fundamental workers’ rights and basic human needs without subverting capitalism but rather by tempering its gangster instincts. Weak labor law in our country has exacerbated, not improved, the wage and wealth gap and has left our benefit structure way too vulnerable to corporate piracy.

Sharan Burrow, the highest-ranking union leader in the world, has some insight about the global workforce. She will offer her thoughts in this and future columns. Sharan is President of the global union body, the International Trade Union Confederation has 307 national affiliates representing 168 million workers in 154 countries and territories. Her view of workers, labor laws and unions peeks through a much larger lens than ours.

Sharan points out that in her country, Australia, and many European countries legally guaranteed health benefits, vacation and sick time, pensions and other benefits make them immune from employer slicing and dicing. What these laws may not cover, strong union contracts can. Does that hamper the free market? Nope. Many of those countries are in the same top wage tiers as America. Difference is, the wage gaps are smaller and hard work brings guaranteed just rewards that can’t be stolen.

A few of these solutions might be worth a look if we can just get out of our collective Chop-O-Matic box. Real action is needed to make our system more balanced. But then again – maybe the status quo isn’t that bad. Hey, if any boss can set up nap rooms or let staff use the company Mercedes, maybe that’ll catch on and a wave of corporate generosity can swell across America boosting benefits for all workers.

Hmmm. Corporate generosity or laws and contracts? It’s hard to figure out which is better.

Leo Canty is a labor and political activist. He lives in Windsor.
Send me your comments at unionleo@aol.com or
discuss the issues at www.ctatwork.blogspot.com