See this is what union people try to do. Scare you into think WITHOUT them the world would just fall apart. Fact remians there are MANY skilled tradesmen that are not in unions and are more than competent. Too bad the ones who think they are better use scare tactics to fool people.
The time of unions have passed. Like Affirmative Action, they were once necessary but are now just a drag on business. There are state and federal laws in place to protect the workforce. Unions hold good people back and protect those who do not produce. If someone here could please list just five things any current union provides that otherwise would be absent I would appriciate it.
__________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll never see him on the weekends again.
#1-a career #2-a pension #3-dental ins. #4-eye care #5-heath ins./BCBS #6-good wages #7-annuity fund #8-proper training/free schooling at training facilities #9-community service #10-safe work atmosphere
Apologies to Fred,not all are fools but some are foolish.Is that better?Not trying to be sarcastic.
Marci, yes there are state and federal laws that are put in place to protect employee's as well as employers and the public,but people still break them, don't they?Unions don't go after the little guy or reputable co's., they target the sleaze ball one's.I'm not saying the unions are good for everyone,but they are for some.Like I've stated before,I've sat at both ends of the table and the union has been a better seat for me so far. All employee's weather union or not deserve to make a fair living,it's as simple as that.I don't think I'm any better than the next guy either,because I'm not.I also am not in judgement of any trades people that are not in a union,that's their choice.I also try not to force the union thing down others throats.I just try to tell of my experiences. I do feel that people that don't have any experience working in a union should not judge until they try for themselves.Just my thought.
One more thing. Fred you wrote that my name says it all. What do you mean by that? If you think I'm a drunk,I'll let you know that I am not,it just happens to be my choice when I do drink which not that it's your business,but I only have a few drinks a month.Few meaning less than 10. So what does Fred the Cat mean?That you're a P_s_y. Remember now,you attacked me first.
Actually you attacked all of us . However, you pick a name that I have always found to be the sterotypical union worker - associated with hard drinking men etc. You certainly don't have to explain your drinking habits to me or anyone else on here. You came on like gangbusters - mellow out.
Welcome to iBC.C B-man. Please refrain from attacking any poster here in the iBC community. If you feel you've been attacked please use the report button located in the top right hand corner of every post box.
The things you listed as pro union would be available in non-union settings. I'd like you, or anyone here, to please list just five things that a union provides you that would be unavailable in a non union shop.
In the unions I've been involved with all I've seen is greed, ridiculous monitary demands and outrageous benifits. I dont see how a union can defend the demand of paying a member 28.00hr for a job that (A is paying only 12-15/hr anywhere else and (B is helping to put their company out of business.
__________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll never see him on the weekends again.
Marci - the ONLY thing SEIU 888 does for us that cannot be done otherwise is it protects us from the nepotism and vengeful actions of our supervisors.
Nepotism and favoritism in state agencies? Oh Hell YES !!
NO agency rule or law stops them from doing what they want.
Now - I've complained a few times.. cuz it totally pizzes me off... but the Turnpike dispatchers now work under Department of Transportation - now will be covered under the same union and unit...
Rather than force the state to do something with these hack/nepotism unnecessary hires... they'll make a new job "title" so they can keep paying them $10K a year more than us, to only call out tow trucks! They haven't been vetted, they're not certified to use the criminal computer system... but they do. MA DOT will have to explain (and I'm sure they will) how/why they need $60K/yr tow truck dispatchers.
And SEIU will do this, to preserve their standing, and gain 13 more members...
I agree with you that Unions don't do any good - but in our case, especially right now, with Deval Patrick picking state workers' pockets so heavily.. we need a union to speak up.
Unfortunately, in our case, ours doesn't... but they're helping themselves to our $60/mo in dues!
Well bacardiman, you have the scare tactics down pat. Do you really believe that the world would fall apart without unions? Maybe the unions world, but not society as a whole.
Is it any coincidence that just about every heavily unionized industry is faltering, or cannot make money? US auto industry, US airline industry...
The problem is that when the company does good, they want their "share", but when the company does bad, they still want their "share". That is not how business should operate.
Unions served a purpose before the labor laws we have in place now. As I said before, they are a vestige of the past, and those clinging to the teat are those who for one reason or another could not get by on merits alone.
Unions served a purpose before the labor laws we have in place now. As I said before, they are a vestige of the past, and those clinging to the teat are those who for one reason or another could not get by on merits alone.
What a mouthful!! There's always been unqualified people holding positions due to unions protecting them.
Many unions have put decent business owners out of business. They're the greatest brain washers in the world and sell employees with crap to get in. Once they're in, forget about it. No getting out and the princess and the frog are gone.
__________________ If we all sang the same note in the choir,
We'd never have harmony
Bacardiman,
I can speak to both sides of this issue, my husband of 30yrs has been a union employee (mostly by force) for far longer than you've probably been alive (guesstimate on my part). I have never been but my job requires that I deal with the union(s) my company has been involved with across time, but no longer (thankfully).
He would, in years past, have told you very vocally what most here believe: that unions have outlived their usefulness. Most companies provide the things you listed to their employees, not the union itself. The union itself is most interested in making sure every dime due them is paid or else. When my company attempted to 'bargain' for a new contract, setting up many meeting with BA's etc, no one showed up except for our co. reps, multiple times. The only time we saw someone (a BA), was when he had received a certified letter from our attorney asking for a no cofidence vote (I forget what it was really called, but no matter, they're gone now). Yet, many weeks, if the dues check wasn't delivered precisely when they thought it should be, a clerk, who usually only works until 3pm weekedays, would be pyscho-calling my desk to find out where it was. Employees went several years without having shop stewards, BA visits,etc. Grievances were few, but were totally ignored by the SEIU, until the big Hotel debacle in Boston. So, exactly why were the employees paying $60 a month, for what?
And yes, right now, my husband has been to see his steward a couple times, due to what I view as 'abusive' or 'harrassing behavior' by his supervisors. He has been put back to work on light duty by them, yet if he says the weight exceeds his Dr ordered limit, they write him up for refusal. He walked in to punch in and was told to report to the office 1st, after waiting for several minutes while his supv talked on the phone, he was given a job ticket and then told 'you're late, it's 6 minutes past, sign this tardy letter'. I know for a fact that his company totally covers his insurances, not the union, which he does not use. His contract is up later on this year, and they have been hoping to 'catch' long-term employees so they can term' them and have no 'pension' liability to carry on their books. So he is happy right now for the union, and trying to get out without losing his earned benefit of his wopping 9,000. per year pension. As Capt said above there is no loyalty left in the workplace, and no 'one hand washes the other', either in terms of respect. It's truly a different world for someone over 60 now. JMHO
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You can vote in polls in this forum
![]](/skins/default/forum_images/spacer.gif){kind=spacer}
![]](/skins/default/forum_images/header-bg.jpg)
![]](/skins/default/forum_images/hide_off.gif)
![]](/skins/default/forum_images/hide_min.gif)
Topic: Union Infighting
