Q, it doesn't work that way. If the company is trying to take away a benefit that we've had in the past, the union is going to fight for us. Most of the time a strike isn't needed. That's a business for you, trying to take away from it's employees in order to make the bottom line look better, no matter what.

As far as on the job problems, I haven't had any personally, so I can't say. I have had to file a grievance against my manager for not honoring the date on a pay raise I was supposed to get a week sooner according to the company paperwork. That week I worked 7 days, so it amounted to over $300. All because the company thinks they don't have to follow their own rules, and they have to waste their own money fighting for something they won't win.

 

Which is why I'm not convinced that it's a good idea to buy a union vehicle anymore.

What every happened to the unfinished vehicle? This F150 was my first domestic vehicle and it's been a nightmare. I've had rattles in the door and found razor blades and shards of metal. I have once piece of metal that is permanently stuck in the right rear passenger's door in the upper section. It just rattles away in there and drives me nuts. Best part about it...it's out of warranty so now it's my problem.

I have a nice thank you card for the guy who restarts those lines without fixing the problem. That's a major issue.

Duke

 

Its called reduced operating cost. If a company is not treating the employees fairly the employees will leave because they know thier market value and can find it elsewhere... Now if those employees cant find thier market value elsewhere it is because they are overpaid. In that case join a union and pray to God that they can save your ***. Im part owner of a company, if I can find cheaper labor that will do the same or better job I will take it. Any company would be a fool not to.

 

For me, an educator, it is not always about the money. I know we get the standard 3%/2.5%/2.5% raise for a three year period. (Sometimes less)

It may be more about class size or paid leave to meet with parents. For example, in the past, we had to often meet with parents over IEP's or 504's well after out school day had ended. Now, we are re-imbursed for that.
Class size is very important in education---the smaller the classesm the more personalized and education is offered. Our union has fought for smaller classes; our "inished product" is better educated and better prepared to meet his/he life goals and hurdles.

As I have mentioned before, there are also procedural issues as to how we are evaluated, the # of evaluations, improvement tactics, etc. Recently we went to interested based bargaining where both sides work more together rather than in adversarial roles.

The union has been a big benefit to me as well as to my students.

Tim C.

 

You would even hire a illegal to work for you? (That's right THE MAN won't go after you, because you'll be employing illegals at less wages while you'll give more in taxes) <<<<Patriotic huh? I guess that's where your at living in a "right to work for less" State, Texas, Kansas, etc..

Members that form a union elect officers to negotiate on their behalf.
Those officials come back to the members with the companies offer and either recommend to accept or recommend to strike, it is then up to the members to vote whether or not to go out. So it's not he Mob holding bats to Companies knees

I'm not a negotiating official, although I do participate in the process, and the members have in the past over ruled what the elected officials recommended. (It's more Socialist, than Communist)
(Labor History Class would enlighted alot of you on the labor movement)
We even voted to freeze our own wages (although Boeing excecs didn't volunteer to give up ANYTHING) for 3 yrs when Boeing was hurting bad.
Now that things have been going well for a few years we are still waiting for the Company to offer us a wage increase to make up for it. (Even though we have won wage increases since then.)

UAW vs. The big 3 === Have not struck since 1998

You ask what Unions have done for people lately?
The IAM District 751 here in Seattle, we went out for 28 days in 05'
Because the company wanted to give the new hires a much reduced pay scale and benefit package, (did not affect people in my position at all) just people that where to be hired after the contract was signed.
Instead, the company came to it's senses offering a increased retirement package and leaving our current wages and health benefits alone. So now the highest paid and most expensive health care group is out the door opening the door for younger bottom of the wage scale and more healthy workforce which saves everyone money.

Our Contract is up in Sept of 08' I'll tell you guys what I'll post their offer when we recieve it (Along with our previous labor agreement here it is if you would like to see it http://www.iam751.org/2005_contract/)
And you can compare for yourselves, but please look at Cost of Living up here in WA State, our Minimum wage is now close to $8.80 I'd be willing to bet almost DOUBLE what some of you union bashing states are offering.
Look at the price of housing in my area as opposed to yours.

Hell, if I could keep my wage that I'm earning now and live in Texas, I give J.R. Ewing a run for his money.

You people that are non-union, have your benefits increased or decreased over the last 10 years? I'd be willing to bet your paying more out of your own pocket and the company offering less benefits. I went on strike for people to preserve benefits for the next generation of workers.

 

You speak to me as if you are better than I am since you're a business owner and I'm a union represented employee. Well, you're not better, and that's plainly obvious. You do show your typical arrogant white collar attitude well. All about the $$$ and screw the employee.

 

We work with Boeing to work "LEAN".

Look what's going on with the Dreamliner (787) Italy, Japan, cannot get their tooling right so now we are on a 6 month delay. Of course now the union is in a position to get work back in the U.S.A. as well as the Airlines telling Boeing to keep us happy labor aggreement wise. ( Doh!!! Another thing the unions will try to get done for the American worker)
It's not the Unions fault, we told them that having a plane built in seperate countries would bite them in the end, as it has.
Keep everything in house and delays and issues that could be addressed in one time zone, won't have to wait for international datelines to get up read a message and get back in another business day.
This delay is NOT labor generated, we still have another year on our bargaining agreement.
This was caused by inflated ego and overpaid "salary" managers and engineers who "know it all" telling the company that building a airplane in seperate countries is a great idea.

Any non-union business owners out their INCREASING their benefit offers to employees voluntarily?? I bet not, your pressured by increasing medical costs the same way we are. If your the exeption it is because the unions in your area are bringing up the benefit packages in your work field. " Why should I work for you, when down the street at a union shop and get full benefits and retirement?"

 

Seriously doubt it almost to the point of being able to gurantee that you do not ... My company can afford to take care of us because they arent haveing to hire lawyers to fight the union to keep them from trying to rape them for every red cent. Also perks. Do you get perks at your job? Well mine are better than yours!

 

You sound like a 12 year old...

White collar, the man, the company....
bwahahahahaha

WIMP!!!

Poor baby, I'm sorry you get bullied so bad....

What happened to hard working men with back bones????

Ohh thats right they arent in unions!

 

Union workers have far more backbone than non union workers, because we stand up for ourselves and don't give in like non union workers do and let the company give them the shaft.

 

I never claimed to be better than you, I do claim to have a better understanding as to why a union is a waste and only benefits the employee and screws the employer. You offer the employee view so I offered another. If an employee does a poor job I would be screwing myself not to find a replacment that could do a better job, your position only looks out for the better of the employee.

 

PSS-MAG

May I ask what kind of work you do?
Are there other businesses that "are" union in your field of work in your local area?
That is great that your employer takes care of his employees, it is a sign the unions have done there job by setting a standard in your work field.
He must stay competitive with benefits other wise he might loose workers to the shop that is union.

Perks?? You mean like both a retirement package AND a 401k investment package, stock options, free education, reimbursment for work shoes, work clothing, Discounts on purchases\services from local\international businesses etc.. like I recieve??

 

In an industry such as the one I'm in, union representation is a must, yours, perhaps not so much. That much we can agree on.

 

My union looks to make sure that the employee is TREATED FAIRLY; it makes sure that proper procedures are in place and are utilized when reprimanding, evaluating, or terminating an employee. Employees can be terminated, but the admins. must follow the correct procedure in order to assure that everybody's rights (according to the contract) have not been violated.

You can get rid of an empoyee that is not working at an acceptable level---you simply follow the defined and agreed-upon procedures in doing so. I don't see what is terribly wrong with that.

It also guarantees that a reduction in force (RIF) plan is properly implemented if conditons warrant it.

Tim C.

 

Correct, that's exactly how it works.