Chapter 8 Blog

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is North America’s strongest and most diverse labor union. I learned that in 1903, the Teamsters started as a merger of the two leading team driver associations. I found it interesting that Teamsters have 1.4 million members, and there are nearly 1,900 Teamster affiliates throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Teamsters stand ready to organize workers who want to bargain collectively. Wages and benefits under Teamster contracts are markedly better than those of non-union employees in similar jobs. Teamster contracts are the guarantors of decent wages, fair promotion, health coverage, job security, paid time-off and retirement income, and they also perform vital tasks in such areas as pension management, safety & health, community outreach, governmental affairs and communications. I agree with their positions, because they are trying to help their members and others, who are not a part of their group, have better wages and benefits.

The National Organization for Women Foundation (“NOW Foundation”) is a 501(c) (3) organization devoted to achieving full equality for women through education and litigation, which I associate positively with. What I find persuasive about their position is that they fight for all women’s rights; they fight for the rights of gay women as well. I think that in this day in age, it is important for groups like this not to exclude gay couples, because they deserve the same rights too. Aside from that, they fight for right of women to be equal to men, and they focus on a broad range of women’s rights issues, including economic justice, pay equity, racial discrimination, women’s health and body image, women with disabilities, reproductive rights and justice, family law, representation of women in the media, and global feminist issues.

I think some interest groups have too much power in the political system. I do not think there is a fine line balance between freedom of speech and keeping unfair persuasion out of government, because I believe groups have the right to say whatever they want to say.  Figuratively speaking, if they project their voice loud enough, then they will be heard, so the groups that seem to have unfair persuasion just project their voice.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Mathew Cooper, and Robert Johnson.