Anybody have experience in unions?

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: nickaluch
If it weren't for unions we all would be working 6 days a week 60 +hours. No health insurance ,no vacation time and no sick time.


Children would still be working and we’d still be using horse for transportation.

The past is the past. We are here now.. I always laugh when someone has to bring up 100 year old history to justify a union.

What does a union do now?

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: Marco620
Look at all the non UAW cars...Better.


Certainly more value IMO.

I still like the big 3 though.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: Marco620
Look at all the non UAW cars...Better.


Auto assembly workers get to much flak or praise on why a car is well put together. They used to have more influence on quality but the advent of modern tech helping QA and robots they are simply filling gaps. It is a big process overall not just the person putting it together. Is QA on the work even union? That would be a conflict of interest to me.

 

[Andrew1972]

My wife wants to join the union at her work as a Physical Therapist as benefits and cost is significantly better along with pay increases.

The issue is the group of hospital lab workers who are not fully educated in trade but experienced and info planted they decrease wages or remove them.

 

[ZZman]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: nickaluch
If it weren't for unions we all would be working 6 days a week 60 +hours. No health insurance ,no vacation time and no sick time.


Children would still be working and we’d still be using horse for transportation.

The past is the past. We are here now.. I always laugh when someone has to bring up 100 year old history to justify a union.

What does a union do now?


We learn from the past. People were beaten, shot, fired to try to make the workers lives better. What was fought for and made into law can be taken away. We have seen wages stagnate over time. We have seen manufacturing jobs of today paying lower wages.

What do unions do today? They negotiate for more time off for workers (sick, personal time, funeral leave etc) better Healthcare, regular raises etc. They represent workers in discipline matters to make sure workers get a fair shake. They make sure management follows agreed upon things to name a few.

Unions can help lift the wages and benefits of non union businesses as well as they compete for workers.

As unions have lost power, workers have lost their collective voice and business has increased theirs.

Are unions perfect? No.

 

[SeaJay]

I was a part timer (that got charged the same dues as the full timers) in a union shop back in the 1970's. Went to one union meeting. Several guys in black suits got up on the stage and asked the several hundred attendees to vote on the various proposals being discussed.

100% of the attendees hands went up for each and every one of the proposals that were made. I might add that the descriptions given for these proposals were rather confusing. But everyone supported those proposals, whatever they might be.

It was a prime example of our union dues hard at work.

 

[riklyn]

I have been in 2 different unions. one was useless, one was very good for members. both were fairly corrupt, with the head (deceased) his wife and several high level members recently indited for stealing millions of dollars from a union fund. I suspect it has always been this way.

on the other hand, when I retired, workers in Mexico, working for the same company, doing the same job, were paid 80 cents an hour and 2 meals a day with no benefits.

anyone who thinks companies would not treat the American worker this way if they could get away with it are pretty naive.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Union called a strike at our power generation facility in the fall of 1984 over grievance of a scatterbrain secretary. Never forget the union members with their signs walking around in an early snowstorm. Management not only operated unit one and two but put unit three into commercial service. Company paid management the equivalent of time and three quarters and had all meals brought in. After about three weeks, the strike was over. There was no settlement. Fun was over. Union gained absolutely nothing and there were new vehicles in the parking lot from all the overtime pay. And, the secretary ran off with another troublemaker not long after and that was the end of that.Never heard the word strike mentioned again. Bet there hasn't been in the twenty years I've been retired.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: ZZman
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: nickaluch
If it weren't for unions we all would be working 6 days a week 60 +hours. No health insurance ,no vacation time and no sick time.


Children would still be working and we’d still be using horse for transportation.

The past is the past. We are here now.. I always laugh when someone has to bring up 100 year old history to justify a union.

What does a union do now?


We learn from the past. People were beaten, shot, fired to try to make the workers lives better. What was fought for and made into law can be taken away. We have seen wages stagnate over time. We have seen manufacturing jobs of today paying lower wages.

What do unions do today? They negotiate for more time off for workers (sick, personal time, funeral leave etc) better Healthcare, regular raises etc. They represent workers in discipline matters to make sure workers get a fair shake. They make sure management follows agreed upon things to name a few.

Unions can help lift the wages and benefits of non union businesses as well as they compete for workers.

As unions have lost power, workers have lost their collective voice and business has increased theirs.

Are unions perfect? No.


I guess I’m not seeing it.

I pretty much have everything mentioned and work for a union free shop.

 

[53' Stude]

AMEN Dave. My company was unio. And they screwed us mechanics over real good

Glad they got voted out btw

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Unions are responsible for raising the standards for non union companies. At least partially. If they still had lousy conditions people would choose to work elsewhere. Been at a union job almost 15 years. Ups and downs but pretty good. Retirement is great, hard to find these days

 

[Al]

I was a supervisor who managed union types. Some used the Union as a cover for poor performance. Unions can be terrible or good depending on the individual workers and the relationship of the union with the company.

As a supervisor, unions caused me some grief that I would not have had with no union. On the other hand, the union sometimes kept a balance on overworking of employees.

 

[Win]

Never been in one, but have represented a few people that have. My experience is that when it comes right down to it, the union is for the union. Caveat emptor.

 

[KJSmith]

Originally Posted By: Win
Never been in one, but have represented a few people that have. My experience is that when it comes right down to it, the union is for the union. Caveat emptor.


Didn't UPS go on strike about 20yrs ago because the Union wanted control over retirement funds.

Scary.

 

[Mr Nice]

1997 UPS went on strike, there's talk about Teamsters wanting another strike in the near future. I do understand their complaints.

I'm non union with great benefits, 2 pensions, etc.
Company would rather give good benefits than deal with unions.

 

[cven]

20 years in... I wish I'd never signed up. No sick time ,vacation, pension in the hole, scabby coworkers, on and on.

Last year we "got" a $1.50 raise.....on our check we ended up with 1 cent! Sheet metal workers....LOL!

 

[thooks]

Been working for 30 straight years coming up June 8. Started working a W2 job at 17.

Surprisingly, I’ve never needed to be “represented”. I just don’t get it.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: cven
20 years in... I wish I'd never signed up. No sick time ,vacation, pension in the hole, scabby coworkers, on and on.

Last year we "got" a $1.50 raise.....on our check we ended up with 1 cent! Sheet metal workers....LOL!


Why no sick time or vacation if your labor contract states ___ hours of PTO earned per week / paycheck / quarter ???

 

[KJSmith]

The way things are going in my industry, they are giving up a ton of benefits in order to save jobs.
As it currently stands you get your first sick day paid after 20 yrs of service.

To many abused to much for to long and now we all pay.

Last contract the members voted to strike.
The leaders would not do it.


A lot of guys got out after that.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: nickaluch
If it weren't for unions we all would be working 6 days a week 60 +hours. No health insurance ,no vacation time and no sick time.


This is the reality that brought trade unions into existence.
Those who claim otherwise are ignorant of history and probably deserve the fruits that their beliefs will yield.
A workforce in which employers hold all of the power is not one in which anyone should want to work.
Unions also benefit those of us who are exempt and not in the bargaining unit, a point often overlooked.