NY Target store rejects unionization

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Macamus Prime

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2011
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GF was wondering the same thing. The nurses union she paid dues for did what exactly she couldnt do on her own? Except of course have a portion of her paycheck taken without her consent. At the end of the day the union wouldnt even call her back when she had questions about change of employment. Got her for about 1000\year and they couldnt be bothered to answer a couple of questions. What a racket.

If your GF is asked to clean up feces, and she refuses, because it's not her job and is fired - would she be able to have that reversed and back to work?

Or, would she have to find another job?
 
Jul 10, 2007
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GF was wondering the same thing. The nurses union she paid dues for did what exactly she couldnt do on her own? Except of course have a portion of her paycheck taken without her consent. At the end of the day the union wouldnt even call her back when she had questions about change of employment. Got her for about 1000\year and they couldnt be bothered to answer a couple of questions. What a racket.

wtf, $1k a year?
are union dues typically a percentage of your pay or a set amount?
 
Jul 10, 2007
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NYC is a pretty powerful union city.

Also, Target isn't going to suffer,... even if it did have a unionized work force. People will buy shit from them no matter what. The store will NOT suffer.

The employees however, that is another story. What is to prevent some asshole manager from abusing his/her employees? Wrongful termination, harassment, over worked and not paid properly.

Everyone hates unions, but they were created because management and owners became way too abusive.

Also, enjoy the many months of the union rat in front of that Target.

not if non-union walmart next door offers lower prices.
 

Macamus Prime

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2011
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not if non-union walmart next door offers lower prices.

New York Fucking City; the place where people actually pay $10 for a small bottle of water.

It doesn't matter. There are millions of people flowing through NYC every hour. Target will not suffer in any way, shape or form. Their management level just has one less layer to cut through when overseeing day to day operations.
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
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Unions shouldn't care two cents about big box retailers. The only reason unions want in is because it would be a easy and efficient source of union dues and the possibility of ever even needing to be involved is slim to none, considering your average retail employee doesnt care themselves or isnt there long enough to care.

Its sort of like an extended warranty. Sure it provides a service, but you will never use it. And when you do need it, you arent covered under the extended plan anyway. Pure 100% profit.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
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What do you think Target employees are, other than low end labor? Stocking shelves is not exactly skilled work.

I agree. But these people had an opportunity to get healthcare and other benefits. However I dont think this is the first or last opportunity these people will have squandered.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
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If your GF is asked to clean up feces, and she refuses, because it's not her job and is fired - would she be able to have that reversed and back to work?

Or, would she have to find another job?

She is a nurse, cleaning up feces was part of her job and she did it. You think the union would had helped her if she refused to perform part of her job duty and was fired? Yeah right. Nurses were fired in her dept, some without cause, and the union did nothing. She literally cant figure out what they did except take money from her paycheck.

She ended up leaving on her own due to terrible working conditions. Got a new nursing position making 25% more and much better working conditions. And it isnt union either.
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
7
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wtf, $1k a year?
are union dues typically a percentage of your pay or a set amount?
It is usually a weekly amount.

Last union I was in it amount to about a hour a week worth of pay for people at the lowest pay rate. $6 something a week, but that was 10 years ago.
 

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
9
81
New York Fucking City; the place where people actually pay $10 for a small bottle of water.

It doesn't matter. There are millions of people flowing through NYC every hour. Target will not suffer in any way, shape or form. Their management level just has one less layer to cut through when overseeing day to day operations.

Says the buffoon who doesn't understand retail margins at all.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
My trade union is $1200 a year. No seniority, no union bosses. If you suck you are gone regardless of how long you have been in the industry. Medical is unreal. Pension is set up but who knows how long that will last with the stock market boing. Base pay is nice but most make more then this anyhow. Almost impossible to get into. All in all its good but I can tell you this, if we had a single payer health system nobody would belong.
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
7
0
NYC is a pretty powerful union city.

Also, Target isn't going to suffer,... even if it did have a unionized work force. People will buy shit from them no matter what. The store will NOT suffer.

The employees however, that is another story. What is to prevent some asshole manager from abusing his/her employees? Wrongful termination, harassment, over worked and not paid properly.

Everyone hates unions, but they were created because management and owners became way too abusive.

Also, enjoy the many months of the union rat in front of that Target.
Yet another person who has never worked at Target.

Target actually has a very nice work atmosphere. Never saw anyone being abused by management, with the sole exception of a salaried manager that was worked to death by his boss. But the hourly employees (aka would be union members) had it easy.

It is not exactly a hard job. Worse thing you have to do might be to clean the bathroom or go outside on a hot day and push some shopping carts.

What does the union have to offer these people?
We give you 50 cents more an hour and you give us $10 a week in dues??
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
7
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BTW the biggest complaint seems to be work week being shorter than 40 hours. But that isn't going to change with a union. Target is not going to all of a sudden give everyone a 40 hour work week. Target has a specific number of hours they use per week and a union will not change that.


Now Target could eliminate a bunch of part time positions and create more full time positions. But that would result in less employees and less union members paying due, do you think the union is going to ask for that?
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
7
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I agree. But these people had an opportunity to get healthcare and other benefits. However I dont think this is the first or last opportunity these people will have squandered.
The majority of them already have a chance to get healthcare.
Target offers health benefits to eligible team members. Exempt team members are offered a full benefits package. Non-exempt team members are offered a Full-Time, Part-Time or Limited benefits package based on average hours worked and position at Target. The full benefits package provides a variety of medical care options, including account-based plans with either a Health Reimbursement Account or a Health Savings Account, a PPO plan and HMOs at many locations. All medical care plans include vision benefits.
The biggest problem is that most of them can not afford the plans because of limited hours.
 
Nov 29, 2006
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Id love to see all unions disappear...wait for it...only to come back in 20 years when people realize corporations are screwing them over hardcore. Then youll be signing up for a union when it comes along. Currently they have sort of run their course. But if they disappear all together within 20 years the ship will need to be righted again for the common worker and unions would come back into existance and youd love them.

I think they are good but can run their course and not be needed for awhile. But eventually it will come back into style when they realize a true capitalist market will pay people the bare minimum to afford rice and water.
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
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Fur the life of me I can't understand why someone in the Building Trades wouldn't want to be Union as those in the Union make more money and have much better benefits. The latter is very important as working in Construction does take a toll one ones body over the years, unlike sitting on your ass pushing papers around and surfing the Internet.

Because some people place their personal values (anti-collusion) over personal gain, so they don't join unions even if it might personally benefit them.
 
Jul 10, 2007
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New York Fucking City; the place where people actually pay $10 for a small bottle of water.

It doesn't matter. There are millions of people flowing through NYC every hour. Target will not suffer in any way, shape or form. Their management level just has one less layer to cut through when overseeing day to day operations.

what does NYC have to do with anything?
this happened in NYS, in a suburb of NYC.
 

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
NYC is a pretty powerful union city.

Also, Target isn't going to suffer,... even if it did have a unionized work force. People will buy shit from them no matter what. The store will NOT suffer.

The employees however, that is another story. What is to prevent some asshole manager from abusing his/her employees? Wrongful termination, harassment, over worked and not paid properly.

Everyone hates unions, but they were created because management and owners became way too abusive.

Also, enjoy the many months of the union rat in front of that Target.

What is "wrongful termination"? Termination is one area where the unions abilities fall short - they go so far to protect jobs that they won't let BAD employees be fired. I don't mean people that suck at their job, I mean people who come in drunk, get in fights, skip work, etc. I've seen it happen. That's disgraceful.

There are federal labor laws for hiring and firing based on race, sex, religion, etc. Other than that, a business should be able to hire and fire at will, not have to prove to someone why they don't want them. If money is running short or the person sucks at their job or they just don't get along with the boss, the boss should be allowed to fire them.
 

Macamus Prime

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2011
3,108
0
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what does NYC have to do with anything?
this happened in NYS, in a suburb of NYC.

Then I didn't read the article. I assumed it was the Traget in Times Square. It's been up and empty for 2 years now. I thought it was the union dispute that held it back.
 

Macamus Prime

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2011
3,108
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She is a nurse, cleaning up feces was part of her job and she did it. You think the union would had helped her if she refused to perform part of her job duty and was fired? Yeah right. Nurses were fired in her dept, some without cause, and the union did nothing. She literally cant figure out what they did except take money from her paycheck.

She ended up leaving on her own due to terrible working conditions. Got a new nursing position making 25% more and much better working conditions. And it isnt union either.

In this example, yeah, the union is useless. But, I've seen them be pretty effective when management was outright abusive to employees - like dumping their belongings in the trash abusive.
 

JockoJohnson

Golden Member
May 20, 2009
1,417
60
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She is a nurse, cleaning up feces was part of her job and she did it. You think the union would had helped her if she refused to perform part of her job duty and was fired? Yeah right. Nurses were fired in her dept, some without cause, and the union did nothing. She literally cant figure out what they did except take money from her paycheck.

She ended up leaving on her own due to terrible working conditions. Got a new nursing position making 25% more and much better working conditions. And it isnt union either.

I call BS. There is no way that anyone could find a non-union job that pays more than a union job. That's what unions are for: to extract the most amount of money out of an employer so they can maximize their dues from the employees.
 
Jul 10, 2007
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What is "wrongful termination"? Termination is one area where the unions abilities fall short - they go so far to protect jobs that they won't let BAD employees be fired. I don't mean people that suck at their job, I mean people who come in drunk, get in fights, skip work, etc. I've seen it happen. That's disgraceful.

There are federal labor laws for hiring and firing based on race, sex, religion, etc. Other than that, a business should be able to hire and fire at will, not have to prove to someone why they don't want them. If money is running short or the person sucks at their job or they just don't get along with the boss, the boss should be allowed to fire them.

i thought you said you were pro-union.
:\
 

Pulsar

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2003
5,224
306
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Yea there was. Its complete BS that you are not allowed to help someone outside your department for one.

Really? Complete BS?

I invite you to come to ANY unionized automaker. Pushing a button on someone else's machine as either a salaried engineer OR another union member can get you greived because you've done someone else's job. That is the reality of a Union run amuck, and THAT is the reality that these retailers are trying to avoid. The first retailer who gets Unionized will take a huge hit: their workers will make less due to Union dues, they'll find it much harder to fire underachievers, etc.