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

These days, it's mostly the other way around. Management has a list of 300 takeaways, and the union is fighting to keep what they had.

 

I agree.

 

What they had included healthcare at yesterdays prices. The 300 takeaways you cite are options to help keep the healthcare plans in the package.

*And before you say it, the answer is no, I don't have employees, but I do see the issues realistically.

 

Not necessarily. And a lot of people forget that many unions have given up pay raises and other things to keep that health insurance.

 

Sorry but this statement is completely wrong. I am a union carpenter and I have zero say in who the hall sends out to a job when I call for manpower. To say these workers are trained and skilled is a stretch at best if not an outright lie!
80% of the carpenters in my district council (at least) can not lay out stairs or rafters.
I joined the union for the pay and benefit package; I.e. retirement, annuity, health insurance...
I do not know how 'in house' unions operate but this is how the trade unions are. For some reason the majority of union members believe the employer owes them more than 8 hrs paid for 8 hours worked, I don't understand this mentality in the least.
For the most part one union trade despises another, they do not stand united even within their own trade. I have been in the union for 18+ years and it still amazes me how pipe fitters dislike boilermakers, electricians dislike carpenters, roofers dislike sheet metal workers... And all dislike each other.
The union tells you who to vote for in elections (democrat 99% of the time). But I digress, welcome to the union if the vote goes that way and GOOD LUCK!

 

My statement is 100% correct. Our contractors are allowed to lay any employee off at any time for any reason. It happens all the time. But you believe your 'facts' if it makes you feel better.

When it comes time to hiring an employee, the hall sends out the next guy on the book. If the contractor is hiring a foreman, they can choose whoever they want as long as that individual gets foremans pay for 6 months.

I've never been on a job where the union trades hate each other. Occasionally you won't get along with an individual because they're an ass hat, but where doesn't that exist. Most of the time the union and non union guys get along. There's been a few times there's been some shit house shit talking, but usually doesn't go much further than that.

I'm sure it's different from region to region, but my experience hasn't been that bad.

 

So... What region of the moon are you in?

 

I was a Union Steamfitter , local 420 , I live in the Lehigh valley , worked from here to Philadelphia. I always found the trades to get along very well . The boilermakers hired us when times were tough , and they took care of us . There will be ass-hats , loads, slugs , and pieces of shit no matter were you go ... Wether it be a bank office , a cookie factory , a car plant , whatever ... Union and Non-Union alike . There will be people who know how to treat people and run a good job , and there are the bad .
I found that most , the majority , are good , hard working , decent people. Why dwell on all the negativity?
Thank God I was Union !! I'm retired at 58 and having such a nice life . I'm not rich but I'm happy . : )
If I wouldn't have been Union ... I would still be gettin it .
I would still be taking a bite of the shit sandwich every day .....
I wouldn't be retired
I wouldn't have money in the bank , I wouldn't have health insurance , I wouldn't have a pension , I wouldn't have my truck , I wouldn't have a decent house , I wouldn't have been able to help my daughter with college
I wouldn't have it

Vote Union - Vote Yes ......... Or .... Do Without

Your outlook and body will be a lot different when you get older .... Do you want to chance a huge regret ?

 

This is an example of your typical union mentality, thanks for responding.
I did not say the employer cant layoff an employee, any employee. I said I have no say in who gets hired from the hall. Once the job is done everyone gets laid off from that job.
To say that the trades get along... You must belong to a union in The Twilight Zone !

 

Um...... Are you serious or just being a troll. Did you forget you're the one that stated my post was "completely wrong"?
This is what I said.

This is your comment saying I'm completely wrong. At what point does my original comment say anything about contractors hiring who they want?

 

.

 

If a job is run correctly, everyone, for the most part, gets along. When you make them work on top of each other is when they tend to have issues with each other

 

Now that all of us Union and non Union folks fanned the fire; does anyone think we answered this poor fellas question?..

 

I work for the Government and if what I've seen of how the Union works is the same for the private sector, I say go for it. As soon as you can, become a Union Steward. Once you're a Steward, you can go on "Union Business" all day, every day. Get yourself elected to a higher Union Office and you won't even have to come in on the regular.

If you're anything like the Steward in my old shop, you can refuse to use email and cell phones so no one can contact you when you're away. All you have to do is say you believe that those forms of communication are not secure.

Don't worry about representing anyone either, holding hands will be the hardest thing you'll have to do. You'll still get full pay and bennies to boot. Also, because of all the work you'll be avoiding, you'll be nice and rested and not require as many days off so you can save all your vacation time.

Again, I work for the man so your situation may be different.

 

I've personally seen it happen that way twice, in two different private sector industries, two different unions. In both cases, the unions succeeded in shutting down the plants, sending jobs elsewhere. Coincidentally, the union reps had what is known as Super Seniority, which of course meant that their jobs were secure to the bitter end. ...Come to think about it, that was no coincidence at all.

 

I've heard the good and bad about unions. If what you say is correct about your job is correct then that sucks. I really don't feel like going back and reading all the responses but I'm sure it got pretty heated as topics like this usually do.

I'm a union member (IAFF) and can only give one side of the story that I have witnessed. Unions (like any other form of business) have their good and bad side. Unions can be blamed for a lot of what has happened in the private sector and can be argued that they are not needed anymore. I tend to stand on the side of unions though, as I have seen the good they do for us (me). The Local that I'm a member of handles all our contract negotiations, grievance's, and makes sure that everything follows the memorandum of understanding. The officers we have are nothing like what you describe. Yes they get paid leave off to go to conferences etc. but the pay they receive is minimal compared to the job they do for us. I pay my dues to make sure that they are paid a honest salary to know every letter of the rules and regulations and memorandum of understanding so that if the need should arise they are there to take action if administration tries to do something outside the bounds (which happens quite often).
The IAFF has successfully lobbied for safety requirements IE: "two in two out" and has pushed for presumptive legislation for firefighters since we are much more likely to develop certain types of cancer than the general public due to the environments we have to work in.

To answer the OP's question... Only you guys can decide whether it would be a good idea or not to unionize. I'm personally pro union (to a point) but I only have one union that I have ever been affiliated with so my view is biased.