Among Friends

[Boehm Collector]

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@Chicagosuburbangirl wrote:

I'm in a dilemma right now.

Our office is up for a vote to unionize with a major union ( think truck drivers).

Any perspective is welcome. 

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@Chicagosuburbangirl .. my husband used to belong to a very large union.  When he needed them they stabbed him in the back.   Based on my experience I would vote  against it.  

[CrazyDaisy]

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@LTT1 wrote:

@Kachina624@Chicagosuburbangirl

I am questioning this because of personal experience.

DD worked for a major but private university and there was no union. She was bullied (extreme) and worked in a term position (no contract). There was nobody to take her side.

What are these laws people are posting about? I was not able to find any laws for her situation?

I retired from teaching. Our state does not allow unions (I think). Teachers do not pay into Social Security. The state is pilfering the teacher retirement fund for their own uses. There are very bad health conditions in the schools. (air ducts) Teachers are treated badly, if management says so. An extreme number of duties encroach on lunchtimes and planning times. Maybe that is just in education.

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Bulling in the work place would be discrimination or a hostile work environment which is protected under Federal Law.  The fact that she accepted a job with no contract is on her.  Many people are considered "at will" employees.

[LTT1]

@CrazyDaisy

There is a “whistleblower’s law” which seemed to fit this bullying case.

Other’s were treated same by this person and that particular department was in disarray. The disarray was due to a higher-level campus position change. The lady doing the bullying had some political pull within the system, and so apparently figured that entitled her to treat people in such a manner.

And what a crock that is! Would then employers be entitled to “beat” their employees? (I am taking an extreme stand here.)

No, she wasn’t beaten physically, but her psyche certainly was. She was really counting time until she could accept another position in her field...and luckily, she did.

I also know that DD learned more from this experience than she ever had in her life.

[Tinkrbl44]

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@CalminHeart wrote:

I don't know why anyone would not want a union.  Unions brought us:

40 hour work weeks

vacation time

safe workplaces

health benefits

pension/401(k) benefits

child labor laws

minimum wage laws

collective bargaining

and so much more

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@CalminHeart

No one here said unions weren't helpful in the past.  However, many feel they now have outlived their usefulness.   

[CrazyDaisy]

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@LTT1 wrote:

@CrazyDaisy

There is a “whistleblower’s law” which seemed to fit this bullying case.

Other’s were treated same by this person and that particular department was in disarray. The disarray was due to a higher-level campus position change. The lady doing the bullying had some political pull within the system, and so apparently figured that entitled her to treat people in such a manner.

And what a crock that is! Would then employers be entitled to “beat” their employees? (I am taking an extreme stand here.)

No, she wasn’t beaten physically, but her psyche certainly was. She was really counting time until she could accept another position in her field...and luckily, she did.

I also know that DD learned more from this experience than she ever had in her life.

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Most places have proceedures to report these thungs.  When employees don't speak up, their situations will not change.

[I am still oxox]

My grandfather was a union organizer, my family has strong union ties

[CalminHeart]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@CalminHeart wrote:

I don't know why anyone would not want a union.  Unions brought us:

40 hour work weeks

vacation time

safe workplaces

health benefits

pension/401(k) benefits

child labor laws

minimum wage laws

collective bargaining

and so much more

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@CalminHeart

No one here said unions weren't helpful in the past.  However, many feel they now have outlived their usefulness.   

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Given all the protections for workers that many states have taken away (or are trying to), unions are more important than ever.  My state has pretty much made workers into slave labor by removing all kinds of protections.... and my state isn't the only one.  CEOs and big business are benefitting at the expense of workers.

I worked for a Fortune 500 company for nearly 40 years and watched the last 10 years as they took away benefits, equal pay, diversity protections, salary increases, and countless other benefits and protections.  I'd join a union in a heartbeat if I had it to do over.  

[Kachina624]

@LTT1.  It depends on the reason why your daughter was bullied; was there sexual harrassment. racial discrimination, was it religious?  These would all be violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  If it was a matter of someone just not liking her, she should have paid a visit to HR and complained.

I retired from a state agency and our legislators also pilfered from our retirement fund and does Congress from Social Security and some other funds.  We did pay into SS, in addition to the retirement fund, as did the teachers.  We had a union but few people belonged, and I never knew of them doing anything for the employees.  My agency was well organized, efficiently run, and treated employees fairly so there were few grounds for complaints.

I know teachers get dumped on a lot.  In places where they've had an organized revolt, they've often gotten positive results, so maybe they've been too passive.  It's a disgrace the way they have to use their own money for classroom supplies or to help kids who don't have what they need.  They are, I'm sure, the most dedicated group of public employees.

[sfnative]

@Chicagosuburbangirl

Early on, I had a job with a major firm which already had a portion of its employees that were unionized: shipping/receiving truck drivers.  This union talked the big talk to 90% of the remainder of the employees, as well as had their union bosses speak to the east coast owners of the west coast firm, for which I worked.

Bottom line was that the trucker's union said they would picket our firm thereby causing great disruption to our business if the owners didn't give in to their demands and unionize the entire company in the state of California.

I hate these strong-arm tactics with all of my being.

Long story short, the firm went union; all of a sudden I had to pay $35/month dues, for which I received no tangible benefits, because my hours were short of 40 hrs/week and as a newly-wed living on a pittance and in college; I had to attend one union meeting/month, during which meetings a bunch of lamebrain humans sat or stood around yelling and complaining about how unfair life was!!!  OMG, adults living out the angst of their childhoods!

I-do-not-like-paying-for-the-privelage-of-working-for-any-company-and-that's-what-you'll-get-when-the-union-moves-in.

And whoever said they don't spend your $$$ supporting candidates, unless they ask you for a donation?  Well, that's just a load of bunk.

Please think twice before handing over certain freedoms and self-determinations to a 4th class organization.

[LTT1]

@Kachina624

Thank you for your knowledgeable reply above.

The bullying that occurred seemed to be  related to the fact that DD was happily married with children. The “bully-boss’s” own teen was on the verge of committing suicide. She was single and it appeared that she resented DD.

Maybe there has never been safety from resentment/personal conflicts, etc. Maybe I am naive to think that there should be a “line” to protect people from professional ruination brought on by others.

It reminds me of the tv series “The Resident.” 

DD was presented with lists of what she wasn’t doing right...but she was new and “situations” required needing facts on in-depth subjects (such as writing speeches to be presented to the “board” for budgetary considerations).

Did the hiring people just choose a newbie and refuse to train her?  She kept hitting roadblocks and could not get facts needed to reach impossible goals...deadlines could not be met unless she worked holidays and weekends straight through, which she did do.

She did go to HR simply so that her situation would be on record.

And thank heavens a great position in her field with another company came along!