Pro Union? Anti Union?

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Journer

back on subject. again, unions NEVER work and they are bullshit. they should be illegal. if i own a business, nobody should be able to tell me how to run it as long as i am not doing anything illegal. if you dont like it then quit. look what unions have done to the industrial companies like ford. the problem is the corruption. the union leaders get greedy and do everything for themselves instead of the workers. and all this seniority stuff is BULLSHIT. if i have more talent and do a better job than the old fart next to me i should be making more money and the company should replace him with a more talented person. that is life...

I guess you're not too big on the idea of freedom. :roll: No one forces anyone to act any way they don't want to. A union can't force a business to do anything.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I'm pro-union and I support closed shop agreements. You want to work here, you join and pay dues. You object to that? Find a different job.

Any reasoning behind that sentiment? I think that fairly absurd, myself.

A union negotiates wages and benefits on behalf of the employees. In an open shop, ALL employees get the benefits of union membership, whether they belong or not. They get union negotiated wages, union negotiated benefits, sick leave, vacation pay, holiday pay, etc. PLUS, they get union representation in grievances, pay disputes, etc....all without having to pay a dime to the union...that makes them freeloaders IMO, and IMO, if they want the benefits of union representation, they need to pay for it...I don't have any real pro blem with "agency agreements" for folks in public service jobs, like cops, teachers, etc. but not in private sector jobs.
Employees are usually told the job required union membership during the hiring process. If you object to a union, simply withdraw your application from consideration...or pay the dues if you are hired.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Journer

back on subject. again, unions NEVER work and they are bullshit. they should be illegal. if i own a business, nobody should be able to tell me how to run it as long as i am not doing anything illegal. if you dont like it then quit. look what unions have done to the industrial companies like ford. the problem is the corruption. the union leaders get greedy and do everything for themselves instead of the workers. and all this seniority stuff is BULLSHIT. if i have more talent and do a better job than the old fart next to me i should be making more money and the company should replace him with a more talented person. that is life...

I guess you're not too big on the idea of freedom. :roll: No one forces anyone to act any way they don't want to. A union can't force a business to do anything.

Having worked in various trades for 20 plus years, I'd have to disagree with the bolded stuff too.
As a member of The IUOE, I have a consistent pension and medical plan, regardless of who I work for.
The construction industry can be volatile, and seasonal. If I get laid off due to weather conditions, my medical benefits will continue for a maximum of 7 months.
If I get laid off by one employer and hired by another for a few years, I don't have to keep converting pension plans.
I've worked for more than a dozen different contractors over the years. These outfits gear up for big jobs, and then wind down.
There is no seniority nor room for slackers in my trade. If you don't produce, you get canned. The Union supports the employer wholeheartedly in this.
If it were not for the union, I would not have a vested retirement like I have now.

 

[Kelemvor]

Can't really answer this without having specifics on what the differences are between being in and out of the union.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: Journer
unions are the worst thing to happen to any company. period. they are never, ever good. they do more harm than they do good. look at the union of the states...if we were still a confederacy (like it should have been) things would be fine.

our union is good and in the 8.5 years that I have been with my corporation, have built a stronger relationship with the employer. they've been through two rounds of successful contracts over that time. i'm trying to think of a negative, even from the company's perspective... and i'm at a loss. way to work the presumptuous knowledge base though :thumbsup:

 

[oznerol]

I think it's a bit humorous how people see unions - it almost exactly parallels our own government.

I suppose this makes sense, though, as unions are essentially just another political hierarchy. I think unions do as good for employees as our government does for its citizens. Is our government a corrupt wasteland filled with the most bottom-feeding scumbags? Absolutely. So are unions. Does it have the rare individual with even an ounce of integrity? I'd say so, too.

 

[shortylickens]

- BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE ONLY -

I dont care for them. When I was in the Navy we did a drydock at Norshipco in Norfolk. Those guys did the absolute minimum they could get away with. And caused a lot of problems with our people, all up and down the chain-o-command.

I think with OSHA and everything else in place, (not to mention this country is lawsuit happy) unions aren't needed to protect workers, provided they are legal, US citizens.

 

[IronWing]

Pro union, haven't joined one.

 

[boomerang]

If you live in a right to work state, you can be employed at a company and not have to join the union.

Conversely, if you don't live in a right to work state (like Michigan, where I live) in order to be employed at XYZ company, you MUST join the union.

I've always wanted to win some enormous lotto jackpot and take this issue to the courts. The Supreme Court if necessary. However, I've got a feeling doing this could be hazardous to one's health.

I'm a union member not by choice, but because I'm forced to be one. The UAW ceased looking out for union members decades ago. Their main objective now is to maintain their fat-cat lifestyle. And they do live large. It's actually sad in a lot of ways.

Sometimes it's difficult to tell who's got it stuck in you the farthest, management or union.

 

[BladeVenom]

On the bright side, you'd get to find out what happened to Jimmy Hoffa.

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I'm pro-union and I support closed shop agreements. You want to work here, you join and pay dues. You object to that? Find a different job.

You're a tool.




I suppose you don't mind the Union exploiting the workers either, right?

That's basically what they tried to do to me. And every other person working there, they exploit them, worse than the store would do.

 

[TheSiege]

it all comes down to your union, your local, which state you live in, and people who run the union.
I live in Utah (right to work state) so i choose to join the union. My union is the IBEW (no strike clause, arbitration panel). I'm part of local 354. And the people who run are fairly smart and care about the employees therefore i have a good opinion of unions and more so of my union. A lot of people bitch about the UAW and I'm not familiar with it. But if you don't like it you can do a couple of things.
1. Bitch about it
2. Bend over and take it
3. Change it.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
In general they are a good idea, and were a BIG part of the equation that built this nation and saved it's citizens. Unfortunately like all things with power they have become corrupted and abusive.

FTW

 

[Throckmorton]

I don't give a damn what anyone says. Unions are STILL important to equalize bargaining between a megacorporation and individuals. Federal employees can't unionize, and look how they are treated. The FAA is overworking their air traffic controllers for example, and they have no recourse.
Or look at the airlines. I think it's AA that negotiated salary cuts with the union to keep the company afloat, and now that they are doing well, they are refusing to raise salaries again. Now the ONLY way they can get a fair shake is to bargain with AA through the union.