By Jennifer Berkshire
...Michigan went right-to-work in 2012, (click here) thanks to legislation that was ushered into the former cradle of industrial unionism via the DeVos’ trademark combo of political arm twisting and largesse. Another DeVos-inspired law made it illegal for employers, including school districts, to process union dues, while simultaneously making it easier for corporations to deduct PAC money from employee paychecks. This summer the DeVoses succeeded in driving a final nail into the MEA’s coffin. The GOP-controlled legislature essentially eliminated pensions, among the last tangible benefits that teachers in Michigan receive from their unions. The union leaders I spoke to when I traveled through the state last year, reporting on DeVos’ education legacy, were candid about the increasingly precarious state of their organizations. But far worse lies ahead. The demise of retirement benefits means that new teachers have little incentive to join the unions; the shrinking terrain of collective bargaining gives veteran teachers little reason to remain in them.
It boggles the mind how the feeble minded Republicans put such stock in destroying unions, when the wealth of the USA is supported by the Middle Class thriving because of unions.
Also, an alert about the so-called "strict constructionist conservatives" on the Supreme Court; they are illiterate to the sincere role of the Supreme Court as the Third Branch of government.
I recently heard an assessment of the Supreme Court's extremist conservatives. Their decisions are based in lawyering and not intellect. The statement was to bring to light the way some of the conservative decisions are made based on 'the words' and not the spirit of a law. It only reflects the way Republicans legislate or don't legislate. They want their laws to be specific to the thinking of their confirmed nominees to the Supreme Court.
On the other hand and why Judge Souter was a disappointment to the Bushes, is because the 'other judges' think about the country and the impact of the law before rendering it's constitutionality or not. The decisions by the Robert's Court has, with rare exception, ruled based in lawyering and the limits the 'words of the law' provide for appropriate government power.
To the left are the demographics by the "Direct Selling Association." (click here)
Ms. DeVos is a member of the Amway dynasty, but, in recent years Amway has been floundering. Amway likes to attribute it to China. Hm, China still has a developing Middle Class. Oh, well. But, don't take it from me.
February 14, 2017
By Ten Nuyten
Changing a compensation plan to become more distributor friendly is almost impossible once the structure is set. I believe what was once their strength is now their Achilles Heel.
...Fact (click here) is that if any business, as in Direct Sales, declines, is not very attractive for a business builder.
Growth is what you need, momentum and a great compensation plan. Amway's official statement about the decline is: "Market conditions in China".
However, if you listen to former Amway diamonds and corporate executives, there is an other important issue: the outdated Amway's compensation plan. In some countries Amway's presence is almost already whipped out.
As one top earner point out:
"Competition is Amway’s problem. For so long they were the leader in an industry with few competitors. Today, there are thousands of companies with highly evolved and lucrative compensation plans, very favourable to distributors.
Changing products, branding, policies, marketing and other business strategies can all be done":...
Mrs. DeVos spent millions, if not billions, on buying politicians in Michigan to push through an agenda to systematically destroy unions. I can't imagine hating unions. Unions' reputation has been smeared for years as people that exploit their members for their own wealth. Well, believe it or not, unions have to compete for leadership in the same markets at other large businesses. The compensation of effective leadership is necessary.
Unions are not a scam and they build the Middle Class. They bring higher quality of life to their members which includes significant disposable income that allows Americans to own at least one house, two cars, take vacations and bring an upscale potential to any company seeking millions of households as customers. "You can't stop a Trane" is because Trane HVAC (click here) sells to more than a few large office buildings.
Collective Bargaining Agreements (click here)
Trane has nearly 10,000 union employees, that, put out an excellent product.
April 22, 2014
By David Leonhardt and Kevin Quealy
The American middle class, (click here) long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction.
While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.
After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.
The numbers, based on surveys conducted over the past 35 years, offer some of the most detailed publicly available comparisons for different income groups in different countries over time. They suggest that most American families are paying a steep price for high and rising income inequality....
When examining unions and their pensions, it is no wonder the American Middle Class has some of the most incredibly moral family values. They plan to have their children attend college almost as though it is not an option. They assist THE USA BRAIN TRUST to build a strong and sustainable country.
Betsy DeVos has absolutely no credentials that contribute to the well being of the USA. She wants to privatize every aspect of schools and that includes creating a LONE STRATEGY to dismantle unions in the State of Michigan as a model for the country.
Betsy DeVos is not a patriot. She is a greed hungry woman seeking the wealth of this country to create education sector CEO's dependent on the RNC. She is dangerous and irresponsible touting an ideology that will reduce the quality of the USA brain trust and set the country back to the Dark Ages.
Charter schools were never meant to replace the public sector, but, to improve it.
The USA has been betrayed and even the Trump voters know it.
