Auto workers in TN vote to Unionize!

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

nOOky

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2004
2,860
1,873
136
The problems with unions has always been you have to take the bad with the good. The excessive union dues go along with the union protecting the perceived lazy or worthless workers right along with the excellent employees. The union can bargain with management, but isn't flexible enough when it needs to be say in an economic downturn. Management always screws the union and the employees at any opportunity because they challenge managements power and profits. Reference John Deere screwing it's employees for years and not increasing pay when profits did begin to soar, then threatening to move to China when the employees and union did something about it.

Ideally the union and management would exist in a harmonious relationship, management sharing the fruits of the employees labor with all employees, and employees and unions toughing it out when times are tough. And all workers are treated fairly, but evaluated on their individual merits when needed. But these days greed overrides profits being shared, it's all more more more.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,530
5,047
136
Ju
The problems with unions has always been you have to take the bad with the good. The excessive union dues go along with the union protecting the perceived lazy or worthless workers right along with the excellent employees. The union can bargain with management, but isn't flexible enough when it needs to be say in an economic downturn. Management always screws the union and the employees at any opportunity because they challenge managements power and profits. Reference John Deere screwing it's employees for years and not increasing pay when profits did begin to soar, then threatening to move to China when the employees and union did something about it.

Ideally the union and management would exist in a harmonious relationship, management sharing the fruits of the employees labor with all employees, and employees and unions toughing it out when times are tough. And all workers are treated fairly, but evaluated on their individual merits when needed. But these days greed overrides profits being shared, it's all more more more.
Just curious about how high you believe union dues are, since you label them excessive?



  • The average annual cost of union dues is $400, or about two hours of pay per month.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
95,189
15,224
126
Wait what? Average union pay is 200 per hour? Nevermind, 400 per year, not month.

Why change the unit. Just makes it confusing.
 
Last edited:

nOOky

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2004
2,860
1,873
136
Ju

Just curious about how high you believe union dues are, since you label them excessive?



  • The average annual cost of union dues is $400, or about two hours of pay per month.

I wasn't calling the union dues excessive personally, I was listing the common stereotypes people have of unions in my first paragraph. I have actually been a union member many years ago, and these are the common perceptions of what the union does.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,972
11,357
136
WhenI was a business agent for my union, I'd tell the non-union guys who objected to the idea of paying union dues..."The difference in hourly pay between what you're paid and what union hands get paid, plus the HUGE difference in fringe benefits...pension, health insurance, etc....I call that the non-union dues." At the time, there was between $5 and $10 per hour difference between the average non-union wage and union wage for the same job.
 

Puffnstuff

Lifer
Mar 9, 2005
16,033
4,798
136
How long until VW automates as many jobs as possible to eliminate UAW influence at their facilities and recoup the increased cost of doing business?
 

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
26,228
24,228
136
I wasn't calling the union dues excessive personally, I was listing the common stereotypes people have of unions in my first paragraph. I have actually been a union member many years ago, and these are the common perceptions of what the union does.
The propaganda put out by those opposed to unions as a fear tactic. We need to call what it is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iRONic and skyking

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,044
4,826
146
the same fear bullshit as used by fluffybrains above about automation. Get a fucking clue, automation is not a response to unions.
It is a logical technological advance. Those same machine lines will need people to function.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iRONic

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
26,228
24,228
136
How long until VW automates as many jobs as possible to eliminate UAW influence at their facilities and recoup the increased cost of doing business?
You do realize that the average car takes less than 30 hours to assemble with best in class being in the high teens right? Manufactures have aggressively automated assembly lines for decades now. The issue and why union efforts are taking off is in theory those productivity gains should show up in workers paychecks and they haven’t.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iRONic

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
26,228
24,228
136
the same fear bullshit as used by fluffybrains above about automation. Get a fucking clue, automation is not a response to unions.
It is a logical technological advance. Those same machine lines will need people to function.
It will most likely be another drive by post from that poster they hardly ever actually engage and defend their position with facts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: skyking

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
26,228
24,228
136
No company owes you a job so keep that in mind when you start down that road.

So I take it you have nothing to say about productivity gains and their relationship to workers wages and how that relationship has been broken for the last 40 years. Good to know.

Or another way to look at it. Even if workers increase their wages $10 an hour we are talking about an extra $180 to $300 per car.

Does that add a bit of perspective for you?
 

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
26,228
24,228
136
It's a transaction, shit for brains. You do X they pay you Y.
Having an organization behind you for negotiations is smart.
Puffy strikes me as the person who looks down on blue collar work and thinks those people should just barely scrape by.