Would you cross a picket line?

[Mrs.Toad]

Yes. Without blinking an eye. If you aren't happy with your employer, do what most other people do and start looking for a new one. If an employer can't keep good workers, their treatment of employees with eventually have to change.

These are my thoughts exactly.

To those posters above hatin' on the union workers, why not focus your disgust to the CEO's of AT&T that make billions?

I don't hate union workers (in fact, some are people I love). I just hate the antics they sometimes use to get their way, like striking to some extent, but especially the childish name-calling in an effort to bully others into taking up their fight for them.

 

[birdiesunshine]

The CEO of AT&T does not make billions per year.

Oops I meant millions. My bad

 

[PatsMom]

I would cross a picket line both as a customer and to replace a striking worker. A job is a job these days and if I needed one, crossing a picket line to get to it would be no big deal.

Years ago the power plant where I worked was unionized. After a year, they union still had not negotiated a contract so they announced they would be going out on strike if the members didn't approve the latest proposal. DH and I were management and we had our strike assignments. Because there was nuclear power involved, we did not anticipate any issues with the picket line. It was pretty much prearranged that the workers wouldn't just walk off the job - there would be an orderly turn over of operations to management replacements, including management and non-union employees from other nuclear power plants.

Fortunately that strike didn't happen, the union workers accepted a contract that gave them fewer benefits than the non-union wage and hour workers got in order to avoid the strike.

 

[LaraK]

In a skinny minute.

I have before and I would again. If I'm unhappy in a job I get a new one.

 

[dzneprincess]

so, just curious, if you were a retiree and your health benefits were taken away...still no problems? That is one of the main issues here.

 

[dzneprincess]

food for thought



http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/t-ceos-2008-pay-package-15-million/2009-02-18

 

[birdiesunshine]

so, just curious, if you were a retiree and your health benefits were taken away...still no problems? That is one of the main issues here.

A lot of folks posting on this thread wrongly believe that this contract is "ALL" about healthcare. There are so many other issues that I feel if you don't know what the whole situation is about either get educated about it or stop posting. Since neither of those two things are going to happen I am trying "unsuccessfully" to stay away from this thread!

 

[bicker]

Even if you took Stephenson's salary away completely, made him live in his office, and live on cocktail party hors d'oeuvres, and split up his salary among all the union workers, not including retirees, they'd each get an extra dollar a day. How much health care can you get for a dollar?

And, of course, if you really did take all that away from Stephenson, he's probably find a better job and AT&T would have some idiot running their company, someone who doesn't respect themselves or their own capability to warrant any partners respecting them, or the company they run, in return.

 

[Lib E]

so, just curious, if you were a retiree and your health benefits were taken away...still no problems? That is one of the main issues here.

I'd be disappointed and then I would find a new job. I am not a child and my employer is not a parent who is responsible for me. I either accept what is offered or I don't and I leave. We are not owed security until we die. If an employer is willing to give a little extra perk, then great, but no one should rely on it. You have to take care of yourself.

 

[Planogirl]

I'd be disappointed and then I would find a new job. I am not a child and my employer is not a parent who is responsible for me. I either accept what is offered or I don't and I leave. We are not owed security until we die. If an employer is willing to give a little extra perk, then great, but no one should rely on it. You have to take care of yourself.

I would hardly call health benefits a little extra perk.

That aside, I believe that when you start to work for a company then you enter into a two-way verbal contract. The company provides you certain pay and benefits and you fullfill the job responsibilities. If you don't do your part, the company has the right to fire you. If the company doesn't live up to what they promised, you have the right to fire them OR less drastically negotiate another agreement if both parties are willing. Having a union in place implies that the company and employees are willing to negotiate.

Just my opinion.

 

[phorsenuf]

A lot of folks posting on this thread wrongly believe that this contract is "ALL" about healthcare. There are so many other issues that I feel if you don't know what the whole situation is about either get educated about it or stop posting. Since neither of those two things are going to happen I am trying "unsuccessfully" to stay away from this thread!

If there is more to it than just health care than please share. I don't know the whole story (what more there may be), all I heard was the health care part.

 

[PatsMom]

so, just curious, if you were a retiree and your health benefits were taken away...still no problems? That is one of the main issues here.

My DH is now a retiree in an industry that always had good pensions and pension plan paid health care. Our monthy premiums are over $650 now so obviously that has changed. And the coverage is not as good as former retirees got. It is just a sign of the times, a health care became more and more expensive the pension plans just can't keep up with the premiums and still adequately fund the pension benefits they are legally obligated to pay.

Many retirees have had their health benefits taken away completely so we are just happy to have a group plan available to us and to have the pension plan paying at least part of DH's premium. My mother worked for Textron, who sold their automotive products division to Collins & Aikman who proceeded to take the company into bankruptcy. Even though my mother retired from Textron prior to the sale, her pension is now paid by the PBGC and she has no group health benefits available to her. She has a private Medigap policy that she pays full premium for. My aunt, retired from the same company, is not yet Medicare eligible and is working a part time job just to have a group health plan available. The tax credit you can get through the PBGC will help with premiums but you have to locate your own coverage.

To not acknowledge that most retirees are paying a significant portion of their health care coverage is foolish on the part of the union.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

so, just curious, if you were a retiree and your health benefits were taken away...still no problems? That is one of the main issues here.

Another main issue is that the union is positioning themselves to FIRE union employees. They want to clean up their books as well.

They will offer up a percentage of employees as a negotiation tool. It is a legal way for them to purge.

 

[disneychrista]

Yes I would.

 

[birdiesunshine]

If there is more to it than just health care than please share. I don't know the whole story (what more there may be), all I heard was the health care part.

Unfortunately it will do no good to list the other issues, some dealing with the safety of the worker. I just wish people would do more time researching and less time offering their opinions without knowing the FACTS!

 

[4greatboys]

NOPE! But I have a UNION family, we stick together!

No way no how- I wouldn't cross a picket line and I would not be a scab!

 

[Magic Mom]

Unions are scary. Check out a youtube video titled AT&T Scabs in Training 2009
ETA- read the info attached to the video.

And to answer the OP, yes I would cross a picket line, as long as I felt it was safe. I think striking is tantamount to blackmail---- acquiesce to our demands, or we will run your business into the ground.

 

[Allison]

Yes, I would.

 

[Lib E]

I would hardly call health benefits a little extra perk.

That aside, I believe that when you start to work for a company then you enter into a two-way verbal contract. The company provides you certain pay and benefits and you fullfill the job responsibilities. If you don't do your part, the company has the right to fire you. If the company doesn't live up to what they promised, you have the right to fire them OR less drastically negotiate another agreement if both parties are willing. Having a union in place implies that the company and employees are willing to negotiate.

Just my opinion.

They aren't a little perk. In many cases they are a perk that is bankrupting companies. Health insurance shouldn't be tied to employment. It's no longer feasible. My point though is that none of us (union or non-union) should be relying on employee benefits to provide for our future. Companies dissolve every day and when they do those agreements and contracts are not worth the paper they are written on.

 

[Planogirl]

They aren't a little perk. In many cases they are a perk that is bankrupting companies. Health insurance shouldn't be tied to employment. It's no longer feasible. My point though is that none of us (union or non-union) should be relying on employee benefits to provide for our future. Companies dissolve every day and when they do those agreements and contracts are not worth the paper they are written on.

I actually like the idea of health insurance not being tied to employment. The problem is that with our current system most people could not pay out of pocket for the care or the insurance which opens up the can of worms called socialized medicine. I'll leave that for another thread.