Kansas City Playlist: Forgive Our UAW Strike Moment Of Doubt

First of all . . .

Generally, TKC adamantly supports the right of workers to advocate for themselves through collective bargaining in order to secure better wages, benefits and safety protections. 

However . . .

In practice . . . Unions can present a mixed bag for the public, industry and . . . Yes . . . Even the American economy. Unions get a lot of credit for helping to bolster the middle-class but so many advocates operate only in theory and ignore legacies of corruption, in-fighting and anti-competitive practices that facilitated their diminished position amid the information age.

And so tonight . . . We share a moment of doubt even amid our support for striking workers.

Our only question . . .

WHAT IF IT DOESN'T WORK?!?! WHAT IF WORKERS STRIKING FOR BETTER PAY END UP PROTESTING THEMSELVES OUT OF THE HIGHEST PAYING U.S. MANUFACTURING JOBS?!?!

Consider . . .

Pensions are a pipe dream . . . Pensions are remnant of the past and the voting public is moving closer to removing defined-benefit plans for future police & fire workers. 

The 4-day work week whilst retaining 40-hour-per-week pay seems more like a startup company perk and might not reflect reality for most workers. 

A 40% pay raise . . . Here's where we absolutely support the UAW and hope they make progress. Not only would higher wages help workers but also boost the fortunes of American labor in general AND the economy. Union worker juxtaposition with outrageous executive salaries is apt and convincing . . . The only people who think CEOs should make 20 million bucks a year are CEOs and the people they directly hire to do PR. The only downside of this issue is that MSM downplays VERY REAL CLASS DIVISION ARGUMENTS that actually resonate with the American public.

Then again . . . For most Americans an (average) 28 dollar-an-hour job that doesn't require a college degree isn't attainable and more callous souls can only offer envy when considering UAW salaries whilst ignoring the overall economic benefit of higher manufacturing wages.

Accordingly . . . 

The strike continues and we share some of the news items we've been watching today . . .

The auto workers strike will drive up car prices, but not right away -- unless consumers panic

If the United Auto Workers strike isn't settled soon, consumers will see higher prices for new cars - and not just the ones from Detroit.

Day Two of UAW strike: Wentzville picketers explain their motives

Instead of being on the assembly line, UAW workers are on the picket line for the second straight day.

UAW's Fain blasts layoff decision amid strike: 'Their plan won't work'

The United Auto Workers reacted Saturday to layoff plans for Ford and General Motors workers that could affect thousands at plants in Michigan and Kansas.

UAW reports 'reasonably productive' talks with Ford amid historic strike

The United Auto Workers shared an update on the second full day of striking, saying the union had "reasonably productive" talks with Ford on Saturday. NBC News' Jesse Kirsch has the latest on the historic strike.

How the UAW strike could have ripple effects across the economy

There are several ways the unprecedented United Auto Workers strike could hit the economy, but it will depend on how long the strike lasts and how many plants are affected, among other factors.

And all of this inspires our www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist tonight . . .

One of our all time favorite American folk song faves starts this evening's musical interlude . . .

One of the most powerful songs from the 80s still resonates today . . .

We're a sucker for a sing-a-long and this clip is just a few years old and our 2nd favorite classic tune from Patti Smith . . .

Of course . . . Once again we share this 90s throw-back to a glorious time when Che Guevara t-shirts taught Gen-X that playing with image and irony was far more rewarding and hilarious than actually engaging in real life activism.

A Pete Seeger anthem is a nice way to end this post if only because the post-modern cover of a classic hymn seems to hope that high ideals overcome messy reality . . .

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.