Your thoughts on Unions

[low-key]

Are you in one ?

yes, and will be for another 2 weeks, that will make 36 years.

Im all over the place with Unions, they sometimes are crazy, wont let a company operate right to make money and force them to promote bad employees and keep them on pay roll.

on the other hand, company's with out restrictions, fire employees when they get sick, old or dont even kiss there but right. And force you to work over time with out proper compensation

I think America and the Unions have it right, its like a pengalaman that swings back and forth, when Unions get to much power, it swings back to the company's

 

[Skellingtonj]

No but I have nothing but support for unions. My dads been in one for the past 40+ years.

 

[kimblebee]

In my experience I paid a lot of money for a lot of nothing.

 

[superme80]

They are necessary in some fields, and not in others. It just depends. Some states need them more than others. I have never been part of one and hope to never be part of one.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Like most things, they have their upside & downside and they can be their own worst enemies.

As you mentioned, the pendulum swings back & forth, but seems to spend too much time at one extreme or the other.

I think most trade unions get it right. Would actually love to see the entire trucking industry unionized as I believe “pay by the mile” is a huge contributor to highway safety issues. Have a real problem with a couple of big ones that shall remain nameless.

 

[emer95]

I have mixed feelings. I’m in a teacher’s union. They do a lot to protect us and make our working conditions better, but they’re also very nitpicky about things, and there are some things they do that I don’t agree with. What bothers me a lot is when they strongly (and I mean strongly) encourage us to vote for certain politicians, and tell us how terrible it would be to vote for the opponent. NO one tells me who I can vote for. That decision is mine and mine alone.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

In my experience I paid a lot of money for a lot of nothing.

Since I was part time when I worked at a place that had union, I didn't have to join the union. BUT I had to pay the union monthly to keep them off the employer's back. I never got anything from the union, so they got a lot of my money for nothing.

 

[low-key]

Since I was part time when I worked at a place that had union, I didn't have to join the union. BUT I had to pay the union monthly to keep them off the employer's back. I never got anything from the union, so they got a lot of my money for nothing.

do you think your pay would have been as high as it was if company had no union ?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

do you think your pay would have been as high as it was if company had no union ?

For that particular company, probably. But they prided themselves at the time for hiring only the "best" and paid a higher starting rate than minimum rate.

I see the necessity for unions. I just think they flex their "muscles" too much, often with not much productivity.

 

[Marchand63]

Yes & glad I am

 

[dotfurio]

I belong to a teacher's union and I am 110% in support of unions. There's a reason the multibillionaires want to do away with them and it's not to make life better for the little man.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Since I was part time when I worked at a place that had union, I didn't have to join the union. BUT I had to pay the union monthly to keep them off the employer's back. I never got anything from the union, so they got a lot of my money for nothing.

DW gave 6% of her pay to the retirement fund for a full decade while they won’t count any of that time toward her “years served” because she was part-time (~1,100 hours per year).

 

[Colleen27]

I am not now, but was in a previous position. And my father and both grandfathers were union autoworkers. I am very strongly pro-union and believe there is a direct connection between the weakening of organized labor and the decline of the middle class.

 

[NYCgrrl]

No but I think if I was to join one I'd prefer life as a member than one without.
There were times in my working life when the union members I supervised had better benefits, working conditions, and weekly checks than me.
Didn't resent it in the least since among other matters I knew 5 or so years down the road I'd out earn them.

In my sight there is no bureaucracy that doesn't involve some silliness whether corporate or union but the core stance of a union generally works better for workers.

 

[disneychrista]

I have never been in a Union but my current (and former) employer have Unions in place.

Current employer I am in a confidential position and therefore not part of the Union. It was in place before I was hired and have no opinion on how it works or doesn't.

My past employer I was a member of management and therefore on the "other side" of the union. I participated in contract negotiations and saw all the good, bad and ugly of it. I think it made it very difficult to run the business (at times) with some of the restrictions that were put in place because of the union. There were things that were put into place because of the union that was beneficial to everyone. And in a few cases the union employees got the shaft vs none union employees.

 

[L&Lfan]

I hate that certain unions ( I'm thinking teachers union here for one) tell you who to vote for.

 

[LovesTimone]

Not for me, and anyone that I know that has "had" to join the union to work was not impressed with how it all worked. If the shop steward liked you then you got ahead, alot of kissing up to get overtime and such. My friend was in a union and she hated it, but in order to work she had to join or be a outcast, they payroll deducted dues and fees, and her shop steward was a creep, and kept hitting on her, and making suggestive comments on about how she could get ahead. There was no-one to complain to, as whatever the shop steward said was like the law.

 

[Suger Mag]

I have mixed feelings. I’m in a teacher’s union. They do a lot to protect us and make our working conditions better, but they’re also very nitpicky about things, and there are some things they do that I don’t agree with. What bothers me a lot is when they strongly (and I mean strongly) encourage us to vote for certain politicians, and tell us how terrible it would be to vote for the opponent. NO one tells me who I can vote for. That decision is mine and mine alone.

I hate that certain unions ( I'm thinking teachers union here for one) tell you who to vote for.

Interesting. Trying to remember if my teacher's union in Mass ever does this. If they do I am successful at ignoring it. I do not understand why it is
problematic that the union says which political candidates are union supported? You do not have to listen.... it is not like if you don't vote for a certain union preferred candidate they find out and then throw you out of the union? Or public shame you? Every time you turn on the TV there is an ad where someone is telling you who to vote for and who not to vote for. You can still vote for whomever you want to no matter what the union says.

 

[Christine]

I am not in a union but I am very pro-union. My husband is in one (he is in the electrical trade) and thank god for it or he'd probably be making $12/hour with no benefits. His union is pretty good, not greedy, and very practical. They have done a lot to ensure that their electricians are very well trained and certified and they protect the members from being taken advantage of by contractors and businesses who want to the most for the cheapest amount possible.

Honestly, I believe the breakdown of the unions over time has done nothing but sabotage everyone's wages, union or not. I know that some of them were not run well and were corrupt so I'm not blind to that.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I think they were absolutely critical at one point, and now quite often (not always) do more harm than good.

And to quote Forrest Gump: That's all I have to say about that.