Right-to-work law: yay or nay?

A co worker of mine's son was nearly fired from a UPS dock for washing his hands before clocking out.

 

I think his point was the guy should NOT have been fired at all. He was the fastest worker there.
I work with a guy that doubles every other workers output, every day, year after year and the boss can't wait to fire him because of some stupid personal reason. He has two little ones and he never knows what is going to happen next. Thats a shitty way to live.

 

Beth,

What if his company goes union after he is employed by them and he is located in a state that is not right to work?

 

They are the norm, not the minority.

 

There is a lot to be said about unions and in my family experience its mostly bad things.

I have been a member of 3 unions, neither of which gave a rat's arse about my well being. One union was a victim of fraud where head people gathered up the funds and fled the country. Among 3 unions never once they mediated on employee behalf but there was a heck of a lot of rallying... with slogans like "we are going to do this... and we are going to do that..." in reality they did absolutely nothing.

My mom was also in a union... a teachers union and gov. Christie decided to cut 66,000 teaches, firemen, police men. Union was rallying up the troops for a whole year not accomplishing anything. At the end they proposed not getting a raise for the year so that 111 teacher jobs could be saved and err... it was a popular vote of "no" "no" and "hell no". So my mom lost the job even though she has 2 master degrees, 30+ years of teaching experience but no seniority in that school district/union.

Everyone I know that works in a union job complains about it. In dire times seniority comes first and its all about seniority. There is no other way to describe it. Seniority is a substitute for competency. You can be absolute bafoon with 25 years of experience, written up 25 times, suspended 16 times and at the end they will keep you because you hold seniority. And worst part is that through multiple loopholes a senior member can exploit the darn thing by half assing attendence record and still be senior.

Is there a benefit to being in a union? If there is... I have not seen it. Is there a benefit to having union "watch your back"? If there is... I have yet to see it. All I see is a lot of huffing and puffing and posturing only in the end to cave to employers.

I have seen it in my own 3 unions, in my mom's union, in my friend's union.

Now I am sure that 100 years ago... there was good in union membership... fighting for worker rights, pay rights, time off, sick time and all that stuff... but today when a great deal has been accomplished... I think its time to switch to a new model. I do not know what it should be but union is not it.

 

I believe you should have the right to not be in a union if you don't have to. I know the unions were needed in like the late 1800's because of the terribly hazardous work environment and long hours, but some of the ones nowadays are bad themselves. All the people I know with experience with unions say bad things about them.


Something should at least be done so that unskilled laborers are not able to strike because their cashier job at Walmart "only" pays $8.75 an hour

 

If you took a job, that most people think is a good career, started making good money, got bills and the such, and your boss starts harrassing you daily, trying to fire you for not signing the pick up log clearly, or your shoes werent shiny enough, or you called in because you're kid is in the hospital, or you did a customer a favor and made two delivery attempts the same day cuz they were out of office on first attempt. These are the reasons my friend got fired, literally. fifteen of those firings UPS knew they wouldn't hold up, they just did it to harass him. piss your boss off, they harass you the rest of they're time in your building.

Unless you've walked in their shoes, ask someone who works there, you have no idea! Thanks for judging, though!

 

If you are going to rely on the corporate world to do the right thing by you, you have a lot to learn.

 

I'm not buying this argument that someone should have to join the union. That it is unfair for someone to reap the benefits provided by the union - but pay no union dues. Look - if the union can't convince someone it is in their own best interest to join the union - then tough crap. There are good unions and there are crap unions. I guarantee there are plenty of unions that no one would consider not joining - and there are crappy ones where the union dues go to union boss cronies and the members get very little benefits. I mean if the freakin union is unable to convince somone they are better off in the union than out - then STFU - nuff said.

 

this is a very good point. Let the union live and die on their own merits. problem is when both occur side by side. Why should non union members get union "benefits" for the same pay scale. Thats a free ride is it not?

 

Exact reason my facility is shutting it's doors on the 21st I will never again work for another union.

 

You sure it's not because the world is ending too?


Just kidding, sorry to hear that. A piss poor union caused the company my dad used to work for to close shop. It sucked.

 

This. While our union gets us better pay and benefits, the main purpose that I like it is for the little things that the company screws us on day to day. Since we are right to work, we still get screwed on a lot of things. The company uses that old "management right's" section to pretty well do whatever they want to you and get away with it. They use every trick in the book to pinch pennies and keep from having to pay you anything and yet work you more and force you to work overtime. In this company, everything is your fault whether it is or not. Unions are not what they used to be(for the most part, and certainly not around here). They definately still have thier place. Something is wrong when the idiots up top are doing less and less work and getting more and more pay while the everyday worker is getting less for working more and is responsible for more. IF you work for a good company a union is useless and a waste, but there are plenty of big companies that make a union necessary.

 

ive only had limited work experience in a non union plant but didn't have any complaints and enjoyed it. i was allowed to go in to what we called the tech center and perform hands on work and i've been told by others that if it was a union plant that wouldn't have happened without certification or what not (maybe true, perhaps not)

what little i know i think unions have served their purpose for the most part and were a major factor in the financial disaster of the detroit big 3. also it seems the only way a teacher can get fired these days is if they screw a student. there is no fear of losing their job if they aren't effective. and in many states (like SC which ranks 49th) the students suffer for it

 

but my dad is part of a union for fedex freight and before with other less than load trucking companies and supports the union. from my dad's words it seems these shipping companies have management that doesn't know what they are doing and just looking for a reason to blame things on the drivers. and based on what NICKLE said he prob isn't far from the truth.

 

we could become China

 

pretty sure some non union company's went out of business before. Management sucks sometimes too.

 

Bottom line is a good union is needed at a bad company, but a good company needs no union. Lots of people have had dealings with a bad union, especially up north, and think all unions are that way, but they are not. Just like all companies are not bad, but for those that are, a union is a good thing. IT all depends on who is running the show on both ends. They have thier place.

 

Right. The legislation makes union members equal with every other worker in this country. Employment should be based on work skills, social skills, and performance, not union membership. More importantly, a qualified worker should never be denied employment based solely on a lack of union membership. This legislation specifically prevents the latter and helps to promote the former.