Union rant

[Tekky]

Union rant

[img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

Sorry guys, I know some of you are union members, but I have to say that the union has done nothing for me other than hold me back!

Back when I was in the union, their policy was, "If it isn't your job, don't do it." If I had followed that policy, I'd probably still be in the union making less than what I am now. My ambition is what got me noticed by my future bosses.

Well, fast-forward a little over 6 years later and now the union is in negotiations with my company and are threatening a strike. If they do strike, the company I work for must mobilize to maintain service levels. (phone companies are funny like that) This cannot be done without people. Where do you think those people are coming from? Yup.. you guessed it... Management. What this means for me is that I get to train for the next two weeks to prepare for a possible assignment in Redford, Michigan. There, I'll be working 12 hours a day for 7 days a week. All of this is without any extra pay.

Now I understand that the union's purpose is to improve working conditions for their members, but all of this haggling is over a lousy raise in the meager percentage that they pay for healthcare. Meanwhile, while I'm paying three times what they are, I'm going to be doing their jobs.

For all this I say F the union!

[img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

[Tekky]

Re: Union rant

UPDATE

Well, now I'm sitting at my desk waiting for a conference call to hook up with some folks from the Chicago area who are planning on renting a couple of vans and driving up to Michigan. Yes, the strike is on. What is strange is that CWA has called a strike only from 12:01 am on Friday to 12:01 am on Tuesday. Who knows what happens after that. Maybe SBC will decide to lock them out.

So unfortunately, I have no idea what/if any internet access I'll have. However, I'll try to keep in touch here.

(F**KING UNION!!!)

[lerxstcat]

Re: Union rant

So they're striking just long enough to put you through the time, money and hassle of mobilizing management to cover their work? That's bullshit. That's that much less money available to address whatever the union's asking for. BAD time for anybody to be striking, IMO.

I hope y'all don't do a lockout, but I could see why your company might do that if that's how the union's playing it.

I hope it doesn't last long, and you can get back to your normal routine Todd!

[Tekky]

Re: Union rant

Yeah, doesn't make a damn bit of sense to me either. Then again, I'm just a keyboard jockey.

[Tekky]

Re: Union rant

Update from Michigan strike assignment central: This sucks!!! That is all.

[RacerX]

Re: Union rant

There is a large SBC building directly across the street from my house, even though this is a residential district. The strikers started this morning at 9 AM, and I'm already tired of the horns honking. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] So, I *really* hope this gets resolved quickly! Maybe I'll go out of town for a couple days!

[lerxstcat]

Re: Union rant

Strap on your King V and wireless and serenade 'em with Slayer! They want a war of noise, give it to 'em!

[RacerX]

Re: Union rant

[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Rich! You read my mind....I was planning on doing exactly that, right after Blind Date is over! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[RacerX]

Re: Union rant

Actually, I looked out my front door at 4:30 PM, and those pussy strikers were gone! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Sephiroth]

Re: Union rant

Unions aren't a bad thing in theory, but too often they act more like lynch mob bullies that hammer people into out-sourcing overseas. A strike won't keep jobs in America; it'll create new jobs in China and india.

What I hate the most is the sense that you have to be forced into one, and the way you're treated like cra by the mob if you're not in one and dare to make your own decisions. This is America, where you're free to make choices. One good thing about Howard Dean no longer running is that he wanted to make it mandatory for people to be in unions, and to outlaw "right-to-work" laws protecting non-union members. He would have single-handedly destroyed our manufacturing base and half of our customer service base in America overnight if he were president.

[A. Pulver]

Re: Union rant

[img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/evilimages/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Tekky]

Re: Union rant

I feel your pain Ron. Here in Michigan we prayed for rain. It did... And then some!!!

[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: Union rant

Dean could never have destroyed the "Right to work" laws; those are a states'
rights issue that Congress is not gonna touch. Unions were absolutely necessary 100 years ago, to establish humane working conditions. Today the unions have become beaurocracies that have outlived their usefulness in most cases.

Union-trained workers have a hard time making it in the free market economy because they won't do the work that needs doing. I managed a service and repair plumbing shop and guys with union backgrounds had big problems dealing with customers. They would not clean up after themselves after clearing stoppages, and had a real "not my job" attitude about anything besides turning a wrench or actually running a drain snake machine.
You don't keep customers by not cleaning up your mess in that field, period.

Times change, and you have to adapt to survive. Unions ignore that fact, and it's a big part of why those guys are now unemployed while Chinese workers do their old jobs. These SBC workers could have their jobs moved to India if they don't watch out. Real sad, but they don't have the cards they think they have. Standing
up to the company sounds great until you lose your job and can't find another.

[txcharvel]

Re: Union rant

I'm worth more as worker than any collective bunch of slackers. I want to earn my own keep instead of depending on a union contract for my job.

I'm a licensed commercial driver. I do training for my company. Not only do I train our field people the regs (including driving hazardous materials), but I train our sales people as well. I've worked my way from the field, through sales and middle management to heading up a department. Can you do this in a union, fuck no.

After all this, there are forklift drivers in our plant that you can't even understand what they are saying and they can't write anything down because they dropped out of H.S. that make more than I do.

The last time the union went on strike at our company, management went in, locked ourselves up in the plant, and guess what...production increased and costs went down. The union had no choice but to accept the contract they were offered.

Unions had there place 50-100 years ago, but not now. OK, ask me how I really feel.

Sorry if I offended any of my fellow JCFers that are union, nothing personal. It's every man for himself you know.

[A. Pulver]

Re: Union rant

Originally posted by lerxstcat:
Dean could never have destroyed the "Right to work" laws; those are a states'
rights issue that Congress is not gonna touch. Unions were absolutely necessary 100 years ago, to establish humane working conditions. Today the unions have become beaurocracies that have outlived their usefulness in most cases.

Union-trained workers have a hard time making it in the free market economy because they won't do the work that needs doing. I managed a service and repair plumbing shop and guys with union backgrounds had big problems dealing with customers. They would not clean up after themselves after clearing stoppages, and had a real "not my job" attitude about anything besides turning a wrench or actually running a drain snake machine.
You don't keep customers by not cleaning up your mess in that field, period.

Times change, and you have to adapt to survive. Unions ignore that fact, and it's a big part of why those guys are now unemployed while Chinese workers do their old jobs. These SBC workers could have their jobs moved to India if they don't watch out. Real sad, but they don't have the cards they think they have. Standing
up to the company sounds great until you lose your job and can't find another.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I've never read such clap trap in all my life.
A) So the unions were good for working conditions and that's it???
Hope you like working for $10.00 an hour with no medical/dental insurance,No vacations or paid holidays or sick days and no pensions.
Just because you are dumb enough to settle for what you are thrown, doesnt mean the rest of us are.

B)"Union-trained workers have a hard time making it in the free market economy because they won't do the work that needs doing."

Here's some news for you: Everyone has their worthless workers.
There is no seniority in the union construction trades.
Thus, it you are a worthless POS, you don't work.
So, you have to leave the union and go work for a rat outfit.
We love it that you guys have to take our garbage.
And sometimes, our garbage is the best guy a rat shop can get. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I needed 2 years of tech college before the union would even consider taking me on as an apprentice.
Throw in 4 years of night school and it's easy to see that a union trained electrician is much more capable than most non union sparkys.
I make more than a non union worker.
I get paid vacations and holidays.
I have medical and dental insurance.
1 1/2x for anything over 8
2x for anything over 12, saturday, sunday and holidays.
We also have work rules set up for our safety.
I have 3 pensions that should allow me to retire when I'm 58.
You guys can keep working till you drop dead.
I'll be out on the lake fishing. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

C)"Times change, and you have to adapt to survive. Unions ignore that fact, and it's a big part of why those guys are now unemployed while Chinese workers do their old jobs."

This is the most laughable of all your points.
You have to grovel to keep your job???
Shit, there are plenty of outfits that had workers making squat and no benefits and they still up and moved production to mexico/china/some other 3rd world country.
Chances are they are going to move sooner or later so you may as well be paid well while you can.


For the cat who drives truck: The guy out on the dock who can't read or write, deserves to be paid more than you. He has more common sense than you do
You chose anal slurpage as your negotiating tactic over collective bargaining.
Proof right there that the company won't pay a man what he's worth unless you have the power to make them.
All the southern boys are so anti union I can't believe it.
They'll take whatever you throw them.
That's why Jimmy Hoffa came up with the National Master Freight Agreement. The southern guys would settle for didly squat and then ***** when the northern guys would hold out and get a hell of a lot more.
1 contract for every driver.
Stopped them from whining anyway.(Dad is a retired Teamster driver)

Unions are what made the middle class and what will keep 1 here in america.

Disclaimer:
Sorry if I pissed anyone off with this post. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ May 23, 2004, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: A.Pulverizer ]