[Blackbird45]

Originally Posted by Robbb

.

Bull**** unions protect the weak we workers at the expense of the good workers

When a union representative sits down to negotiate a contract, they're not only negotiating for their members they are also negotiating for nonunion employees. When a union member's salary rises, and protections are put into place, nonunion employer in that field match or exceed that to keep their workers.

[jimkerr]

Unions are great for lazy people.

[Blackbird45]

The local I represented did not guarantee employment. If the employer was unsatisfied with the employee, they would just replace them. What are local did was place a base salary, working conditions and benefits.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Blackbird45

Last five years of my career I was the sole negotiated for my local. The one thing I leaned was if employers treated workers fairly unions would not exist. It's not only wages on the table, many times it's also the safety of the employees. I went against the 3 major networks, the Broadway League, the Major studios. You never sit across from a CEOs; you sit across from a group of hired guns who have a parameter they are locked to, and they secure their position by how low they can keep the cost. It doesn't matter if they are not offering a living wage, or they work their employees around the clock, they do what is best for themselves. I don't fault them, they have families and mouths to feed, but so do union members.

There are some unions that also think of the company their members work for and want to help them to stay profitable.

The ones in the companies I worked for was only interested in keeping up the medical and retirement funds they managed and made it almost impossible to fire a worker who tried their best to do almost nothing all day.

NYC has a room for teachers who are not trusted to be in a room with students. Instead they are kept in one location where they sit and read all day while still getting paid.

[Blackbird45]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

There are some unions that also think of the company their members work for and want to help them to stay profitable.

The ones in the companies I worked for was only interested in keeping up the medical and retirement funds they managed and made it almost impossible to fire a worker who tried their best to do almost nothing all day.

NYC has a room for teachers who are not trusted to be in a room with students. Instead they are kept in one location where they sit and read all day while still getting paid.

The problem is not the unions. When I sat down, I would ask for whatever ridiculous thing I could come up with. The expectation was that the negotiator on the other side of the table would do the same but in the opposite direction. If you have contracts where employers are forced to keep employee who are not doing their job, the fault falls on the employer's negotiators. I do not believe employers should be force to employ people who do not meet up to an agreed standard.

[Chi-Town]

Here is some news that may ease the angst:

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

[Keefelane66]

Originally Posted by Robbb

.

Bull**** unions protect the weak we workers at the expense of the good workers

Then you have a weak company. It’s called documentation of infractions of work rules many managers are lazy to follow the rules and contract and fail to document infractions. Then blame the unions.

[Blackbird45]

Not all unions are the same. The local's members I represented were basically freelance. What the local's contracts offered was a minimum salary, benefits retirement and health and working conditions. If the employee wanted to negotiate on their own for a hirer salary it was something they had the right to do. If the employer did not want to pay their rate and the employer did not have another worker to do the project, the union was obligated to supply someone that was capable of doing the job. The local also gave classes to keep the members up to date on what would make them more in demand and whatever new safety measures had to be adhered to. Again, any contract that forces employers to keep employees employed when they're not doing the agreed assignment is not the fault of the union, but that of the employer's negotiator

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

That doesn't necessarily mean there isn't any. Bad news sells papers, attracts viewers and generates hits. Good news doesn't.

Here's a place to get happier news: Brighten the World and Spread Hope - InspireMore.com They have uplifting and cheerful stories.

[irishwonone]

Originally Posted by Blackbird45

Last five years of my career I was the sole negotiated for my local. The one thing I leaned was if employers treated workers fairly unions would not exist. It's not only wages on the table, many times it's also the safety of the employees. I went against the 3 major networks, the Broadway League, the Major studios. You never sit across from a CEOs; you sit across from a group of hired guns who have a parameter they are locked to, and they secure their position by how low they can keep the cost. It doesn't matter if they are not offering a living wage, or they work their employees around the clock, they do what is best for themselves. I don't fault them, they have families and mouths to feed, but so do union members.

Problems lie on both sides. Usually not union workers but union management.

[Blackbird45]

Originally Posted by irishwonone

Problems lie on both sides. Usually not union workers but union management.

Obliviously you're not a union member or have no idea how unions work. I was elected twice to represent my local, after spending 35 years as a working member and left when I reached retirement age. All the union representatives I ever met tried to deliver whatever their members wanted within reason. The years I was the representative I spent more time away from home and was paid less. It's easy to attack unions and management when you know nothing about them.

[B.Kauffman]

Topspinmo: Your comments are typical of someone who has never felt the support of a well run union. And your knowledge of the English language is questionable. Their, there.

[RICH1]

Nationwide Strike … July 5-12, 2022

[vintageogauge]

My first job after high school was a mail clerk in a very large union factory. The individual that I replaced spent more time showing me where to go and who to talk with throughout the factory to waste time as once the mail was dropped off in the morning there was nothing else to do until delivery in the afternoon. A few weeks later another opening, this time a payroll clerk, the job was to drop off and pickup time cards in the various departments, once again a morning trip and a late afternoon trip with nothing to do in between. I got to know every foreman in the plant, new their life stories, what they ate what they didn't eat, etc., etc., This was the most boring job I had in my life. I was taught to work hard not to sit around smoking and drinking Coke all day. Occasionally I would help the lady in the payroll department get the cards ready until I got caught, this was a big no-no, not allowed to help anyone. From that point on I just sat in a chair and read junk mail until my route was ready for me. On my 89th day, the boss called me up to his office and gave me a list of about 200 numbers, told me to go over to the adding machine and add them all up, don't waste time checking the results, and bring the list with the total back to him. He looked at the total, said to me that is incorrect, I'm going to have to let you go, this was the last day of probation. I found out later that the list of numbers was used anytime they had someone that they wanted to get rid of. Getting kicked out of that union was the best thing that ever happened to me career wise, from that point on I got paid for working, not loafing. I got dozens of stories like this and even worse. There was a time for unions and probably some employers should have unions but for the most part I feel that those days of needing representation are in the past.

[Quixote]

How sad to see one group of working people being manipulated and pitted against another group of working people. Back in the day this was called 'divide and conquer.' It still is.

Many years ago I had a cousin who owned textile mills in New England and vehemently opposed the idea of a union. I asked him, 'How have you managed to avoid your workers forming a union when other companies like yours eagerly unionized?' He responded that he paid his workers more than the unions were getting the workers they represented, he gave them better benefits than the union were getting fortheir workers, and he provided better working conditions than the unions were getting for their membership.

There was no way he could see—nor did I even try to point out to him—that the unions were serving his workers very, very well and that his work force was costing him more than if they had been unionized! Back in the day this was called 'false pride and ego.' It still is....