Do you work for the union? do you like it?

I work for a box factory and we are going to be voting for the union to come in. I dont know much about it. The things I hear are a one sided story. I want to know both sides. The good and bad. So any info would be appreciated. Thanks

 

I'm a union electrician. Our wages, benefits, and retirement are very good. One way to think of a union is to think of them as your representation. If you have an issue you take it to them and they delegate. It makes it much harder for the company to take advantage of its workers.

 

The problem has to be big enough for them to care.

Unions are ok.....my only gripe is they keep shitty workers working.

 

This completely depends. Our contracts allow contractors to lay anyone off for any reason. If you don't do a good job, your out. So that reasoning doesn't hold any water in the trades.

 

IBTL

 

Do you have co-workers that barely get by? They "do the job" but not very well

 

They only lock threads with canadians in them.

 

The work the least of anyone.

 

Usually the way the game is played is, the contractor puts out a 2 week call even if theres a years worth of work. They use this time to see how the worker is. If that person is a shitty worker then they get rid of them.

 

Unions used to be very important decades ago. Now the laws pretty much cover it.

Thank goodness for them. That's the legacy that those brave people left behind for us.

Today my feeling is that the big unions themselves have joined with big government and big business. The upper management of the 'big three' probably live in the same hoods, play golf at the same clubs, and are happy as long as their money is coming in.

They could be ok for some lousy companies.

For well managed companies you will pay dues for nothing worthwhile.

Fact ... The most horrible, dirty, unsafe place that I ever worked for was union. The nicest best paying happiest place I worked foe was not.

Just my thoughts my opinions. No big deal. Something to think about and maybe discard. Who knows.

 

I'm a "Grip" in the Motion Picture Industry. We rig the lighting and sets for movies and TV shows. My Union is pretty good. Wages, benefits, and retirement is good as well. It's the same thing pretty much as above as far as crappy workers. If you're no good, your boss will lay you off and bring someone else in. If you don't do a good job you won't work very much. If you work well you'll be hired more often.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAzhz29eVec&list=RDeAzhz29eVec#t=33

 

I work for a government agency and am part of a union. The pros are Health benefits, job security, and seniority. The cons are that it makes it nearly impossible to get rid of shitty employees, rewards those shitty employees with pay grade increases regardless of their quality of work, and personally, don't think they fight very hard for us during negotiations. I'm sure there are other pros and cons but that's what came off the top of my head.

 

Unions made significant contributions to fair wages and workplace safety many decades ago. Today all they do is hurt our economy by making big companies seek cheaper alternatives to expensive union labor so they end up having their products manufactured in countries like China and Mexico.

 

Ive been thru a couple............some are a joke, others will go to bat for ya. beni's are great, If I was non union, I woulda been fired long ago for stating the truth and challenging my bosses for being pieces of crap.

Ive called the POLICE on my super after accusing him of holding me hostage..... I havent heard a word about that stunt and still get my checks regularly.

if not for the union, I woulda been canned for my long term injuries as well.

 

I had a great gig until my shop went union. Steady work for years. Then when larger jobs came in we got a bunch of shitty people and the work started to fall of. Customers that the shop had for over 20 years where starting to look elsewhere. The unions make it really hard to shed dead weight and hide those who excel.

Unions can be good if you're getting screwed around by your company. If your company treats people fairly, the only people who get screwed is the company.

That's how I saw it from my end. It was my father in laws shop that I had worked at for 10yrs before I left the trade all together.

 

I live in a right to work state which means I do not have to belong to a union if there is one at my workplace. There was a union at a previous job that I had. The agreement between the "union" and the company was poorly written, left some things wide open to interpretation and in some cases contradicted itself. I was not a member of the union but for some reason they had to "represent" me. Although according to the agreement, I could not negotiate with the company by myself. I wanted higher wages and let it be known. The company ended up creating a new position for me so they could pay me more money that the other, more senior, less skilled people with the same job title. The "union" had nothing to do with this. As it turns out, I had more clout that the union did.

I was the highest paid hourly employee there.

 

My union is good. There is an understanding that our members must do good work in order for the contracting companies to make a profit, and if the companies aren't making money, there is no work. Our union facilitates a 5 year apprenticeship and education program that is transferable to a bachelors degree, as well as continuing education courses for journeymen. The contracting companies are provided with skilled and educated workers, who are represented, protected, and educated by the union.

The union has negotiated our wages and benefits and they ensure that we're appropriately compensated for the work that we do.

Union Elevator Constructor.