Unions

[VooDoo Lady]

What are your thoughts about unions? Do you think they are still useful in the 21 century?

Are you union? Is there a union where you work as "management?"

Thoughts?

 

[Warik]

I think we all know how helpful unions are in this day and age. Airline unions striking whenever they feel like getting yet another raise sounds familiar. So does incompetent teachers maintaining employment regardless of their pathetic teaching skills for administrative fear of a goon-ion retalliation.

Unions should be abolished.

-Warik

 

[gymrat]

I agree with the fact that unions are needed to protect employs, but fuck some of these unions get so caught up in the power, that they lose sight of what they even want.

 

[danielson]

necessary, in that workers could be exploited without them, and it allows qorkers to apply direct financial pressure to employers without risk of all of them being sacked

but annoying in that they can cripple everyday life with their strikes etc

i also love how its perfectly acceptable for train workers or firemen etc to strike, as someone will always come in and fill their role (not saying its always unjust but people can strike effectivly when they want to here)

but when its healthcare workers or military personell who are ROUTINELY taken forgranted by the government or the public for that matter, they arent even given th option to strike as if they did, people would die. and if they do strike the media paints them to be the bad guys (theyve never striked and whenever their unions have staged walkouts, most of them ignore it and continue to work)

 

[saint808]

Smaller unions would be fine... but with power comes corruption and yes it still exists today. I will say the teamsters treated my father really nicely when he was homebound with hospice, and they were very nice to my mother after he passed away.

 

[gymrat]

My bro's union is on strike right now. When their union leader came to talk to their local devision, she asked if they had done any "secondary" picketing action. She went on to say "have you put holes in the "scabs" tires, and have you picketed on their front lawns?"

She serioiusly asked them this?

Crazy union leaders should be shot.

 

[VooDoo Lady]

anyone out there in a union and feel without it the management would take advantage/mistreat them?

 

[Warik]

necessary, in that workers could be exploited without them, and it allows qorkers to apply direct financial pressure to employers without risk of all of them being sacked

This sounds like paranoia to me. Employers aren't out to "get" their employees. They're out to "get" the competition. You're not going to have much luck competing if you make a habit of exploiting your employees. I seriously doubt that the abolition of unions today would cause workers to be exploited. Of course, teachers about whom 99% of the parents and students complain who will be fired will certainly call it exploiting. People who know what they're doing will call it a wise business decision.

The other problem with unions is that its members have the wrong idea about them. One day, my HS history teacher was talking about unions. Someone asked him what the point of a union was. His response? "If I get fired or I want a raise the union will raise hell and help me."

What a dumb fucker.

-Warik

 

[The Ranger]

I belong to the I. B. E. W.(union steward) and SAG as well...Unions have their place in the workforce, but there are some drawbacks at times...pay raises are generally neg. by union officals, therefore no matter how hard you bust your ass, some lazy fuck gets the same money....I overlook this as much as I can and try to take pride in my work....

Unions haven't got the best of reputations this day and time, but let us not forget that major companies fire employees all the time, close shop and move the company to mexico, lay off elderly people and replace them with much younger personal....Unions can protect the rights of these people, but even then, at times it's not enough....

Generally speaking, the further North you go, the more closed shop states you encounter...the further South, the less of a Union force you'll see....

Just a few of my thoughts.....and yes, I have been on strike....it sucks waiting day in and day out not knowing what's going to happen.....After going through this, my opinion is...both sides lose.

Ranger

 

[dimitrios]

I belong to the I. B. E. W.(union steward) and SAG as well...Unions have their place in the workforce, but there are some drawbacks at times...pay raises are generally neg. by union officals, therefore no matter how hard you bust your ass, some lazy fuck gets the same money....I overlook this as much as I can and try to take pride in my work....

Unions haven't got the best of reputations this day and time, but let us not forget that major companies fire employees all the time, close shop and move the company to mexico, lay off elderly people and replace them with much younger personal....Unions can protect the rights of these people, but even then, at times it's not enough....

Generally speaking, the further North you go, the more closed shop states you encounter...the further South, the less of a Union force you'll see....

Just a few of my thoughts.....and yes, I have been on strike....it sucks waiting day in and day out not knowing what's going to happen.....After going through this, my opinion is...both sides lose.

Ranger

I am also in the IBEW Local 349 Miami Florida. I will have to agree with you about the farther South you go the weaker we get. People seem to think if your Union you work slow and get paid alot of money. The idea of union is that the get a person who went to school and was certified to do that job. We down here do not get our "A" ticket until we past the Journymens exam. So yes you might be paying a little more but you are getting a worker that has been in apprentice school for 5 years and has past a state or city exam. As far as working slow, it is safer and you get a better job if you think about what your doing and not rush your work. We make sure the job is done the way it is supposed to be and not half ass.