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I grew up in the Jackson Purchase area. With the exception of UK sports, sometimes it felt like we were part of Tennessee instead of Kentucky. Our whole area as well as over to the Bowling Green area and south of the West KY Parkway is much more closely aligned with Nashville than Louisville/Lexington/NKY. I think we were much more Southern in culture than other parts of the state, which is a good thing. I live in the North/Midwest, and I really don't like it. That being said, I think Kentucky as a whole is much more Southern (in sports, music, food, religion, socially) than Midwest. Kentucky and Tennessee are very similar while Ohio and Kentucky aren't all that similar. Unfortunately, Kentucky is economically much more similar with the Midwest than the South. The organized labor/unions from Ohio and Indiana have definitely had an influence on economic policy in Kentucky which has prevented Kentucky from becoming a right-to-work state. Because of that you're seeing much more development in Tennessee than Kentucky.
I agree with you! I wonder how long it will be before we do become a right to work? It seems like Unions are having a hard time anymore.
I grew up in the Jackson Purchase area. With the exception of UK sports, sometimes it felt like we were part of Tennessee instead of Kentucky. Our whole area as well as over to the Bowling Green area and south of the West KY Parkway is much more closely aligned with Nashville than Louisville/Lexington/NKY. I think we were much more Southern in culture than other parts of the state, which is a good thing. I live in the North/Midwest, and I really don't like it. That being said, I think Kentucky as a whole is much more Southern (in sports, music, food, religion, socially) than Midwest. Kentucky and Tennessee are very similar while Ohio and Kentucky aren't all that similar. Unfortunately, Kentucky is economically much more similar with the Midwest than the South. The organized labor/unions from Ohio and Indiana have definitely had an influence on economic policy in Kentucky which has prevented Kentucky from becoming a right-to-work state. Because of that you're seeing much more development in Tennessee than Kentucky.
I agree with you about Kentucky and Tennessee being very similar. I have found TN and KY to be very similar in terms of culture, religion, food, music and socially more southern.
"The organized labor/unions from Ohio and Indiana have definitely had an influence on economic policy in Kentucky which has prevented Kentucky from becoming a right-to-work state."
That's why union building tradesmen in Kentucky make several dollars an hour more than those in Tennessee, because unions are generally stronger here and working people less servile. Hell, even non-union construction workers make more in Kentucky than in Tennessee thanks to the presence of the unions.
"The organized labor/unions from Ohio and Indiana have definitely had an influence on economic policy in Kentucky which has prevented Kentucky from becoming a right-to-work state."
That's why union building tradesmen in Kentucky make several dollars an hour more than those in Tennessee, because unions are generally stronger here and working people less servile. Hell, even non-union construction workers make more in Kentucky than in Tennessee thanks to the presence of the unions.
Unions are a thing of the past and have done nothing for american buisness but send it overseas. I think of the industries in which unions are involved and not one comes to mind that has actually done well. The auto industry can't afford to pay workers what the unions demand so they move overseas...Ford just announced to build the fiesta in mexico city today. The airilnes are all failing due to gas prices and unions causing gridlock. Teachers unions are a disaster and leave horrible teachers untouchable. It seems that a once good idea has morphed into a management is out to get us idea. Does someone that puts parts on a car really deserve to make eight thousand a year? It doesn't make any sence. Plenty of buisnesses get along great without one and do just fine. Unions ask for too much, get it then run their employer overseas or out of buisness due to such high costs of labor...it is a joke. These people that go on strike for higher pay are the ones that get it then two years later don't have a job because thier plant moves overseas for cheaper labor costs....I can't help but not understand why these people don't have foresight enough to know. When we didn't have a global economy they could get away with that stuff, nowadays companies will just pack up and go where they don't have to pay fifty thousand to have someone screw in a bolt. How are the airlines, auto industry, teachers, etc doing these days? Last I heard pensions for state employees was an issue, I hope the teachers don't loose that...after all it's fair to work twenty years, retire in your mid forties then have the state pay you a salary for longer than you ever worked for them....that's a joke.
Unions are a thing of the past and have done nothing for american buisness but send it overseas. I think of the industries in which unions are involved and not one comes to mind that has actually done well. The auto industry can't afford to pay workers what the unions demand so they move overseas...Ford just announced to build the fiesta in mexico city today. The airilnes are all failing due to gas prices and unions causing gridlock. Teachers unions are a disaster and leave horrible teachers untouchable. It seems that a once good idea has morphed into a management is out to get us idea. Does someone that puts parts on a car really deserve to make eight thousand a year? It doesn't make any sence. Plenty of buisnesses get along great without one and do just fine. Unions ask for too much, get it then run their employer overseas or out of buisness due to such high costs of labor...it is a joke. These people that go on strike for higher pay are the ones that get it then two years later don't have a job because thier plant moves overseas for cheaper labor costs....I can't help but not understand why these people don't have foresight enough to know. When we didn't have a global economy they could get away with that stuff, nowadays companies will just pack up and go where they don't have to pay fifty thousand to have someone screw in a bolt. How are the airlines, auto industry, teachers, etc doing these days? Last I heard pensions for state employees was an issue, I hope the teachers don't loose that...after all it's fair to work twenty years, retire in your mid forties then have the state pay you a salary for longer than you ever worked for them....that's a joke.
I am watching the effects of it all with my ex-husband.
I don't want to say anti because I understand why they were started by I like you feel they are outdated. My husband is a non-union electritian and has never been laid off. He had class mates who were union who were laid off ALOT. My ex works for Ford and is getting laid off alot as well and keeps losing his benefits more and more because of all this mess.
Companies move overseas to get away from AMERICAN workers, not union workers. No American worker, union or non-union can work cheap enough to satisfy the businessman who sends his work overseas.
In many cases companies moved to the South to get away from unions and then shipped the jobs overseas anyway. Such as the furniture industry which moved from Michigan to Carolina and has now moved to China.
Lay-offs are the nature of big-time construction work, when a job is done the contractor lays off. The union worker is paid more and gets help finding a job from the union. And as in any endeavor talent chases money, the better workers gravitate to the higher pay and better conditions--union work. Non-union workers come banging on the doors of union apprenticeships but I never saw a union guy say "hey, I think I'd prefer working for less money and worse conditions."
Because I was a union construction worker I retired at 55 with a pension that pays me MORE than working 40 hours a week at Chicago money. I'm open to arguments as to how that's a bad thing for me.
Not all non-union companies are bad. the one my husband works for is pretty darn good. I hear Toyota is too.
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