Pizza drivers seek national union

About 600 drivers nationwide have signed up for the free union, and he feels momentum gathering for more unionization votes.

"Despite the fact that we didn’t take the vote, just that it occurred is a major hurdle," he said. "It’s never happened before in the history of pizza delivery driving."

Lockwood said pizza drivers make $5.50 to $6 an hour, plus tips, and are reimbursed 50 to 75 cents per delivery for gas costs, no matter how far the delivery is.

Corporate profits as a share of GDP are at 25 year record high, labor compensation as a share of GDP is at a 25 year low (Fed St. Louis, PDF, page 21). Time for unions to come back into power.

Unions tend to be protectionists (steel in the 80s), they develop a bureaucracy, they strike firms into unfulfillable long term promises. Now the UAW cries for a public bailout of the car industries pension obligations.

Unions are the only instrument to fight for fair compensation when there is slack in the labour market. Real wages are sinking and plenty a people are looking for news jobs. Without unionisation workers have no chance to raise income. 

With speculator and management benefits coupled to short term share prices, unionized workers are the only party with a real long term interest in modernization and competitiveness.

To counter the neo-liberal trend, join a union. If you deliver pizzas, contact www.PizzaDeliveryDrivers.org now. And by the way, please bring me one big Siciliana and a bottle of Coke and don´t you dare to raise the price I have to pay.