Tell me what you know about forming a Union at wor... - Page 6

onewhiteSparrow · ‎08-05-2011

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karil · ‎07-27-2013

one company I worked for had all corporate workers take "training" on what the "signs" of unions were, "situations" we should avoid, "phrases" we should report. I'm pretty sure we "agreed" to remain non-union.

I wouldn't take the topic of unionizing lightly. be informed and prepared. (my DH was union for many years -- I appreciate the structure, but not all industries are friendly to it)

Kalli · ‎03-11-2010

On 2/26/2014 onewhiteSparrow said:
On 2/26/2014 Kalli said:
I'm thankful I'm a union member. They negotiate for my salary and benefits. I know I'd be making a LOT less and wouldn't have the benefits I have if not for my union.

Is everything perfect? Of course not. But I don't complain about my dues each year because I remember when my union was just a "yes man" and I don't want to go back to those days. I feel they negotiate in good faith and there is a give and take. The union doesn't get all the things asked for, and neither does management.

Years ago I was a Union Rep for a large company. I didn't ask to be a Rep, but people voted me into the position because they said they knew I would really defend them, and be honest and fair with everyone. So I sorta had to do it. And I learned the inside of the Union. I was shocked over what I found out what really goes on in the Union.

I saw the Union would tell the people to strike for this or that....but the real reason was already talked out between the Union and Company for the people to strike. The facts to strike was really wanted from the Company. But the Company would act like they didn't want a strike. But the facts were to strike it would save the Company several millions of dollars not paying wages while parts or other things was made. So the Company asked for a strike. The Company promised the Unions something for their favor to strike for so many weeks or months.

The employees would be going without a wage for weeks or months. While the Union Reps (all of them) kept making their normal wages. The Union Reps didn't lose anything while the employees was asked to suffer not getting a wage.

Learning this I told everyone in my area to Not strike...no matter what they were told. And they listened to me and voted to Not to strike.

Unions are not honest. They are parasites on the people and businesses.

Those who have union positions directly above me work where I work. We've never been on strike while I've been there, which is over 20 years. In fact, in 27 years of my career, I've never been involved in a strike.

Again, I would not make what I make without my union. And I wouldn't have the benefits I have either. I'm not rich by any means but I think my salary is fair and let's face it, without some union involvement I would be making a lot less.

The union isn't perfect, but I'm certain my situation at work is made better for having it.

onewhiteSparrow · ‎08-05-2011

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Chalcedony · ‎05-12-2010

I completely agree, OWS. Many companies provide good salaries and benefits without the unions forcing them to. In fact, my previous company (a manufacturer) paid its hourly employees at the non-union plants a higher wage than those at the union plants. The would have paid the same wage to everyone but the union insisted on "negotiating" and making sure that union members' wages and benefits were on par with their members at other companies. My company's management agreed to the union's demands, much to the detriment of the union's members.

Kalli · ‎03-11-2010

On 2/26/2014 onewhiteSparrow said:
On 2/26/2014 Kalli said:
On 2/26/2014 onewhiteSparrow said:
On 2/26/2014 Kalli said:
I'm thankful I'm a union member. They negotiate for my salary and benefits. I know I'd be making a LOT less and wouldn't have the benefits I have if not for my union.

Is everything perfect? Of course not. But I don't complain about my dues each year because I remember when my union was just a "yes man" and I don't want to go back to those days. I feel they negotiate in good faith and there is a give and take. The union doesn't get all the things asked for, and neither does management.

Years ago I was a Union Rep for a large company. I didn't ask to be a Rep, but people voted me into the position because they said they knew I would really defend them, and be honest and fair with everyone. So I sorta had to do it. And I learned the inside of the Union. I was shocked over what I found out what really goes on in the Union.

I saw the Union would tell the people to strike for this or that....but the real reason was already talked out between the Union and Company for the people to strike. The facts to strike was really wanted from the Company. But the Company would act like they didn't want a strike. But the facts were to strike it would save the Company several millions of dollars not paying wages while parts or other things was made. So the Company asked for a strike. The Company promised the Unions something for their favor to strike for so many weeks or months.

The employees would be going without a wage for weeks or months. While the Union Reps (all of them) kept making their normal wages. The Union Reps didn't lose anything while the employees was asked to suffer not getting a wage.

Learning this I told everyone in my area to Not strike...no matter what they were told. And they listened to me and voted to Not to strike.

Unions are not honest. They are parasites on the people and businesses.

Those who have union positions directly above me work where I work. We've never been on strike while I've been there, which is over 20 years. In fact, in 27 years of my career, I've never been involved in a strike.

Again, I would not make what I make without my union. And I wouldn't have the benefits I have either. I'm not rich by any means but I think my salary is fair and let's face it, without some union involvement I would be making a lot less.

The union isn't perfect, but I'm certain my situation at work is made better for having it.

There are many companies that pay a higher wage with benefits and none of them are Union. And none of them are forced to give part of their money to a Union. It is a false idea to think only Union companies pay a high wage.

I never said only union companies pay a high wage. My brother makes in the low/middle 6 figures and he's not union but he's in admin and definitely not in my line of work. He also does not have protection against job loss due to getting older. That's the gamble he's willing to make. His decision. There will come a point in time when he will probably find himself on the outside looking in. We've talked about this and he just hopes 1. he's saved enough to retire at that point and 2. His twins are out of school by then.

My situation is not like his. I would not make what I make without the union. I would not have the benefits I have without the union. I pay my dues willingly. In fact, where I work I don't have to join the union I'm in, I could opt out. I don't because I'm happy with the union. They've provided me with advantages I otherwise wouldn't have.

onewhiteSparrow · ‎08-05-2011

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qvcaddition · ‎03-10-2010

Back in the nineties I worked for an HMO that was unionized for clerical staff and I became a union rep. The union saved many jobs for the women that were discriminated again of all color, nationality and religion. I had the worked piled on me by my supervisor. I got better working conditions. An example. We had half hour lunches, so when the boss would make a mandatory meeting during lunch ,she thought getting pizza was enough and no pay which worked before I came along with the union rule. Pizza OK, but so is pay for that half hour. The company had to give everyone back pay for all the previous mandatory meetings.

I was also the Health and service rep. For safety. The company had to drill a hole and put an air pipe to outside for fresh air to come into the building, because our eyes were watering and itchy and some of us got swollen tongues. We could not open windows and had poor circulating air through dirty vents. That one I called OSHA in to inspect. I could go on with lots of stories. The one thing you need to make sure of is to get the complaints from the employee who is complaining in writing and signed. The first one with OSHA THEY LEFT ME OUT TO DRY. No one would come forward, so I learned the hard way. They all want things done, but they don,t want to be seen talking to you ,regardless of the fact you are helping their working conditions.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

On 2/26/2014 terrier3 said:
On 2/26/2014 LipstickDiva said:
I think back in the day, unions had their place. I also think in some lesser developed countries, unions are much needed.

I think they have lost a lot of their clout and their power here. My DH is union and detests it. I know not all unions are the same but his opinion is that the union supports workers who want to cry about everything and not do much work. It is astounding to me what people file a grievance over and the results. It actually makes me sick because my DH works for our local government so it's our tax dollars going to pay for the nonsense.

As far as better pay goes because you are a union, that's not necessarily true.

The pay may not be better, but I bet he will have a pension eventually!

There are graphs that show that as union membership has declined, so too have the wages of average workers.

You don't have to belong to a union to get better treatment...just the THREAT of a union has helped better wages and working conditions.

The Gap is increasing starting pay to $10.10 at all their stores without any prodding. I applaud them for that and I will shop there more often now.

Maybe, maybe not. We aren't counting on that. My dad worked for US Steel for 30+ years and long story short, after a lot of concessions were made, his pension was next to nothing and now for those still working there, pensions are gone.

Besides that fact, to get a decent pension he'd have to work a lot longer than he has left to work. He started this job later in life.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

I worked in sales for many years.

When the last company went public, they cut commissions from 10% to 5%. Overnight. No warning.

They said it was to look better to the stockholders. As a publicly traded company, the managers pay was available in the annual report. They all gave themselves raises. Our sales president went from 1 million to 2 million/yr. in salary (plus stock options).

Everyone was complaining, but I buckled down and billed twice as much the next year (mostly new business) so I made the same amount of money. Everyone who did what I did, just took what was handed to us and made lemonade out of lemons, got a shock the next year. Our commissions were cut again.

The company said stockholders didn't want to see sales reps making so much money...even though we made just 5% of all the business we generated.

So all the top achievers got another round of commission cuts...and the managers got another round of raises.

Now 5 years later, the company is being sold...the managers are getting mega-million dollar stock option payouts...and I'm working for myself (back to 15% agency commission!)

I don't think this ever would happen in a union shop!