Unions

[Rangerman2006]

I spent the first 10 years of my working life as a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 286 until I started my career as a Federal LEO.
The first ten years I was a member of the AFGE. But, after watching my dues go to support candidates and policies that I strongly disagreed with, and that benefited union leadership far more that’s the rank and file members, I decided to make a change. I spent the next 20 years in management and never regretted making the move. I enjoyed a productive working relationship with union leadership for 20 years. I had to since a part of my position involved dealing with employees, many of them union, who had allegedly violated the Code of Conduct every Fed LEO swore to follow. It was a great working relationship under less than ideal circumstances at time.
And I was able to spend my money to support people and policies I agreed with.

I would respectfully assume that you have a 401k or other investments that fund businesses, corporations, and political agendas that are against your ethics and idealology as well.

[D.Moore]

So why did you join the circle jerk?

Maybe he wants to be pivot man!

[DaveBrabec]

Hated paying dues and annuity money out. But glad I did. Union has been giving me retirement money for 13 years.

[Tone357]

Maybe if you invested your dues money all those years?

Does that "assume" I didn't invest other funds?

[ManxFishing]

Well
I work for a Conveyor Company for Automotive
All the Labor is Union.
I'd say there's plus's and minus's

Growing up, I was the wrong color and gender to get in a union
And these days, I'm past using my back to make a living

[KennyVexus]

42 years and running working in a union shop. First 25 in the union and last 17 in management (non-union). All 42 years have been great and plan on working at least 4 more. Technicians are making 75k plus bennies a year and we can afford them just fine. Up and running since 1942.

[n2ratfishin]

So pretend like I'm a young person sitting here reading all these union posts. BBC doesn't own the market on union bashing, it's everywhere. IMO 99% of those bashing have had a bad experience and/or think all unions work like being a merit .gov worker. So, this young person is trying to decide if they are going to college or go into a trade. If they are sharp were brought up to be a free thinker this may be a tougher choice. If they were brought up to do the minimum....well you get the point. They better hope they end up being the merit .gov worker and not a tradesman. I lasted a year and half as a tradesman my first time in college. It did not take me long to figure out this was not the life I had envisioned so I joined the military and the rest is history. Reading post like these has to make a young person think. Would you want to go into a profession where you were told you could not be fired, call your neighbours things like "scabs" because they were working, get the crappy hours and work until you were senior, then have half the country mad because you are senior...my goodness it's a wonder good tradesman demand their prices. IMO America is totally missing the value of good labor and a deep labor force.

We WILL pay dearly for this one day!

P.S. This really hits home for me this week. For the first time ever we had labor type work done at our house and a company around here not send a bunch of good ole boys as the workers. This week I got one dude that would speak English and 7 other dudes that did not seem to speak a lick of English. Not used to seeing that in TN.

[Tone357]

For the first time ever we had labor type work done at our house and a company around here not send a bunch of good ole boys as the workers. This week I got one dude that would speak English and 7 other dudes that did not seem to speak a lick of English. Not used to seeing that in TN.

Welcome to the new America! And they say they only take the jobs that Americans don't want. That is total BS! I know plenty of guys who have been sqeezed out of their industries!

[MLCA]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious but not all those that pay those high union dues may be in the position to look elsewhere or relocate

"Hey Jim, thanks for the 20 years working for our company, we thank you for all the hard work, dedication and loyalty but the times are tough and we are going to need to close your branch. You can continue with our company but will have to take a position 3 hours away in another town. Oh you can't relocate? Too bad i guess, good luck we will put a good reference for you. good luck...."


then you would wish you had a union to fight for you

[Idaho Sandman]

Maybe he wants to be pivot man!

Nope. Sounds like you have experience there….

[gdi]

50 years in the union. After 1 year of being retired my pensions paid all the union dues I spent over those years. Now I live like I'm still working every month they send the checks. Can't ask for more than that.

[Mechanic Bob]

Been a Union member and when I left, I got my withdrawal card, just incase I ever had to go back.
Supervised Union Employees, which included Steel Workers, UAW and Flint and Glass Workers.
Worked side by side with numerous unions as an Engineer.
Seen the Good side of Unions from both sides and seen the down side of unions.
Being in the Union, I did get a very good wage.
Now these days, with all the Safety Regulations here in the USA, I see the Unions less effective.
Big problem when I was in the Union, other Brothers did give a damn, until something effected them.
We had the best looking Union President of our Local 580. Nelly put Raquel Welch to shame.

[Rangerman2006]

So pretend like I'm a young person sitting here reading all these union posts. BBC doesn't own the market on union bashing, it's everywhere. IMO 99% of those bashing have had a bad experience and/or think all unions work like being a merit .gov worker. So, this young person is trying to decide if they are going to college or go into a trade. If they are sharp were brought up to be a free thinker this may be a tougher choice. If they were brought up to do the minimum....well you get the point. They better hope they end up being the merit .gov worker and not a tradesman. I lasted a year and half as a tradesman my first time in college. It did not take me long to figure out this was not the life I had envisioned so I joined the military and the rest is history. Reading post like these has to make a young person think. Would you want to go into a profession where you were told you could not be fired, call your neighbours things like "scabs" because they were working, get the crappy hours and work until you were senior, then have half the country mad because you are senior...my goodness it's a wonder good tradesman demand their prices. IMO America is totally missing the value of good labor and a deep labor force.

We WILL pay dearly for this one day!

P.S. This really hits home for me this week. For the first time ever we had labor type work done at our house and a company around here not send a bunch of good ole boys as the workers. This week I got one dude that would speak English and 7 other dudes that did not seem to speak a lick of English. Not used to seeing that in TN.

I'd tell any kid to really sit down and weigh his options and really take into account his mental ability and work ethic. I'd tell him college degrees are not cheap and are no guarantee of a high paying job once you get one. Also college can be the worst financial decision you'll ever make.
The kid should also know that if college is not for him that thanks to unions there are plenty of high paying jobs available in the trades... if he's willing to work hard.
I would explain to him, if he goes the trade route, that being non union he will have no job protection. That his employer has the right to fire him for any or no reason. His employer can change his pay or hours at any time. He'll in nearly every profession make less money with less benefits and no pension. I'd tell him the 2.5 hours a month of union dues are worth every penny.

[castforcash]

I'd tell any kid to really sit down and weigh his options and really take into account his mental ability and work ethic. I'd tell him college degrees are not cheap and are no guarantee of a high paying job once you get one. Also college can be the worst financial decision you'll ever make.
The kid should also know that if college is not for him that thanks to unions there are plenty of high paying jobs available in the trades... if he's willing to work hard.
I would explain to him, if he goes the trade route, that being non union he will have no job protection. That his employer has the right to fire him for any or no reason. His employer can change his pay or hours at any time. He'll in nearly every profession make less money with less benefits and no pension. I'd tell him the 2.5 hours a month of union dues are worth every penny.

[BP in ME]

I was a foreman for a couple years at one of the big three facilities. Yes, firing a poor performer is a tough job, as it should be. The contract between the company and the union spelled out the steps that had to be taken before an employee could be terminated. The process required a lot of work, communications, measurements, accuracy, etc., on the part of the company.

Keep in mind, the same rules that make it hard to fire poor performers also protect the rest of the employees in the group. If it was easier to fire the poor performers, it also becomes easier to fire any of the other employee's.

Why would a company want to fire good employees?

[Rangerman2006]

Why would a company want to fire good employees?

Companies will cut there own throat to save a few dollars.

[BP in ME]

To laugh at the union guy standing in the middle

Talk about a tangent. Started out talking unions and veered into bukkake.

[ThomasD]

Companies will cut there own throat to save a few dollars.

Funny how union members keep saying how evil companies are. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you

[BillsFan]

Companies will cut there own throat to save a few dollars.

So why prop up a crap company with organized labor?

[Phoenix Jim]

"Hey Jim, thanks for the 20 years working for our company, we thank you for all the hard work, dedication and loyalty but the times are tough and we are going to need to close your branch. You can continue with our company but will have to take a position 3 hours away in another town. Oh you can't relocate? Too bad i guess, good luck we will put a good reference for you. good luck...."


then you would wish you had a union to fight for you

we didn’t have a union in the Air Force thank god