| 3/23/2008 12:57:11 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
bama1234
Smyrna, TN
age: 37
| I work for a large automobile manufacture. Lately there has been a lot of talk about a union vote coming up. I have no experience with unions. Can someone explain the politics and advantages or disadvantages of unions to me.
| | 3/23/2008 2:44:56 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
eddiethewhite
Denver, CO
age: 45
| Unions = legalized extortion.
No further explanation needed.
| | 3/23/2008 3:03:07 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
curiousone2
Springfield, IL
age: 42 online now!
| To be honest, I personnally have mixed feelings about the Unions.
On one hand they have Power, but Lately, every encounter I have had with them has been BAD.
and I mean, My mom brother, and Brother in Law, are all Union, and they have all been personnally screwed by the Union. each one different causes, and all No representation whatsoever,
they don't even provide you with a personal advocate anymore like they used to,
and They are partly responsible for this healthcare problem I think because they are the ones that made healthcare a responsibility of the workplace, which makes NO sense. because it only serves part of the population.
not a single of the three problems were resolved satisfactorily,
and they are doing dodgy things with these travelling Locals too,
My brother in Law says they are hiring foreign workers and signing them up in the Washington Locals? and they come in and work rather than locals working?
I don't know about that part personnally, but someone else might. I have no reason to doubt him. It is HIS paycheck after all.
On the plus side, He is an iron worker and the jobs have changed to green jobs all of the sudden, so there is change happening even if slowly.
I would definitely say Get Involved, and ask every Union person you can ( Union memeber I mean) because that is your childrens well being, protect your family, If you think it is wrong, tell your friends why.
They are doing shady things with the healthcare and drug testing too. Be very wary
| | 3/23/2008 3:06:15 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
curiousone2
Springfield, IL
age: 42 online now!
| eddie, are you union?
do you know anything about these travelling locals?
From what I have seen, it is alot of dues for little return.
the Insurance doesn't pay for anything anymore.
It is really hurtful for these Loyal union members, I think it sucks the way they have taken advantage of the Loyalty of the employees for greed.
| | 3/23/2008 3:58:36 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
onelife2live
Janesville, WI
age: 43
| As a member of the UAW/GM I am for unions. Now before you start bashing me, I also served in the military and worked for non-union places before ending up at GM. The things I like about the union is they keep the company honest, or used too. They have the right to look at the books and see if management is lying about work related issues. Why can't everyone make a decent wage and have benefits? Why do people at McDonalds have to make minimum wage when most of the McDonald buildings are paid for in the first year or two of business. If they had a union you as an employee would see the bottom line on profit. Unions do protect some bad workers, I agree. But overall if you could have a union backing you why wouldn't you. I am not singling out McDonalds on purpose, just trying to make my point. Without the union, management could and would change the rules whenever they wanted. They could cut your pay and eliminate benefits at will....jmo
| | 3/23/2008 4:28:28 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
curiousone2
Springfield, IL
age: 42 online now!
| IM certainly not bashing anyone.
I think this is a really serious problem. I see both sides of the argument. In all 3 cases, that I have been around, there was a lack of representation for the employees. They pay dues but have No reps, and they just sort of quietly did away with them.
It is as if, the priority of the Unions switched from being a union of the workers, to a union of the Union.
My Mom was given bogus meds that almost killed her, and they didn't help her get her lost wages and she is still suffering from that crap, just the financial loss alone,
they trained all of these employees to do her Job, that SHE has a degree for, and then they fired them all and hired ex addicts from private contracting firms because THEY pay Union dues, and make less money, but they aren't really Union, so they get no benefits from the Union, It is stupid, but that is the Illinois Department of corrections, and it corrupt from bottom up.
I know the iron workers union is invested in this program that drug tests the workers, which I personnally think is BOGUS, but they charge them for the tests, then they charge them for the treatment, and they are making money off of it, So you KNOW there is a problem there. and we are short iron workers as it is.
and the other, is My brother who got jumped in a bar, and he left because he was being beaten, and he got a DUI, even though the DUI charges were dropped by the state, the state fired him? because he didn't go through some program, and he wasn't suspended for 10 days. It just so happens that My brother is one of the few people that can do his job because of some chemical crap or something, anyway, it was a BAD time for the state, and My brother, and the Union wasn't real Helpful.
The Union needs to be redesigned, they need a revamp and a renewed manifesto regarding what exactly their jobs ARE, and what services they are supposed to provide.
I think it is a really difficult thing to decide, and no matter which choice you make, you need to get real proactive about your rights, because NO one else is gonna do it for you. I don't think it is BAD, I think it is outdated, but new blood has to come in to fix it too, so, you never know maybe YOU are that person?
| | 3/23/2008 4:47:14 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
eddiethewhite
Denver, CO
age: 45
| I _was_ union a number of years ago (IBEW). And all they ever did for me was take my money and caused the television station that I worked for at the time a lot of grief.
| | 3/23/2008 6:38:03 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
9erfan
Modesto, CA
age: 50 online now!
| I say Unions Yes!
They negotiate for employee wages and a benefit package that most nonunion employers(at least in my area) do not offer.
Unions gave us the 5 day 40 hr work week,and have kept wages for those that are members at a livable standard.
Sure there are union officials that might seem to do little for their pay, which comes from the union memebers dues, but,just like the government and taxes,those officials are voted in and out of office.
There are some changes in unions that need attened to,but strength in numbers is the way to go. Without organizing,a lone voice is not likely to be heard.I have worked for both covered and non covered shops and in my line of work,in the area I live,union employers take way better care of their employees than the ones that are not union.
A lot of Calif. State jobs, ie;teachers, Cal Trans, city and county road maintainance are all unionized,as are alot of the contractors that the State hires.
If you work for a union shop,chances are you will have some kind of health plan,pension plan and someone to back you if your employer has some kind of gripe or vendetta against you.Other wise you are on your own.
Strength in numbers, go to the union meetings, make your ideas and or complaints be heard.
| | 3/23/2008 8:22:43 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
krupa1
Abilene, TX
age: 40
| I come from a non-union town. I understand the leverage and negotiational power that union exerts.
I gotta say "No".
I am willing to do whatever I have to do to not only advance the interests of my employer, but myself as well. I earn what I ask/ demand and I make myself valuable in the process without having to give part of my pay to people who will represent me, yet can't/ won't do my job.
| | 3/23/2008 8:55:42 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
9erfan
Modesto, CA
age: 50 online now!
| In my personal experiance,manufacturing and construction jobs that are not covered under a union contract,recieve less in overall income as those that are covered.Even with having to pay your dues,to me its a no brainer.
Of course if there are few if any unions,like where I currently live,you just have to be able to negotiate your pay and pay your own med and into a pension.
I am currently self employed,and am running a non union bus.,but if I wasnt,I would be looking for employment in a union shop,it's where I came from,just would make better cents!
As for the union guys not doing the jobs,when I was a member most of those guys in the "hall" had been in the trades at some point and had actually done the work at sometime,just were either too old to continue in it,or had the oppurtunity to take the job as union Rep.
JMO
| | 3/23/2008 8:58:07 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
sdcentaur
Sioux Falls, SD
age: 48 online now!
| In the early 80s Sioux Falls had the largest stockyards in the US right across from one of the largest meat packing plants in the country.
The plant, Morrell's, was the largest employer in Sioux Falls and the wages and benefits were much higher than average for the area. Someone who had put in 20 years of semi skilled labor there was compensated about the same as the average bank Vice President, more if you include the health and other benefits like 6 weeks vacation and 30 days sick leave, etc.
I'm not saying this was easy work or that everyone could do it but it wasn't rocket science either.
It was a (mostly) Union plant, SD is a Right to work State so we don't have "closed shops".
Since WWII the wages and benefits had increased each year even with inflation factored in. Starting wages were up to over $15/hour (remember this was in 1984 dollars) and the Union suits from NJ (Teamsters) convinced the workers there that they were getting a raw deal and they should get more wages and benefits even though the company was losing money.
They called a strike when the company refused to raise wages any higher. They couldn't anyway and had actually asked for a 5 year wage and benefit freeze.
The company brought in replacement workers and there was some violence. A lot of Union members couldn't understand why they weren't getting much sympathy from the community where most people made half what they were turning down and once the violence started they lost almost all community support.
The Union was broken, many might blame the "Evil corporation" but if they can't make a profit they had no reason to stay in business. It was the Union's and workers greed, they did it to themselves.
24 years later starting wages are $10.50/hour, benefits are nowhere near what they used to be and a good percentage of the people there are here with green cards or recent legal immigrants and people who couldn't get a job anywhere else because of criminal records or other "problems"
Yes, go ahead and vote with the Union.
Anyone have a Litton Microwave? Until about 1990 they were built here too.
My 1st wife was working there when the Union came in and "organized". The Union proposed a contract and the company offered a contract that would do better than the Union was asking if they did not vote the Union in.
They voted the Union in.
Shortly after that the doors were locked and everything in the plant was loaded on trucks and taken to Mexico.
Personally I don't want someone in an expensive suit wearing $800 shoes from a part of the country that has a very different cost of living and lifestyle telling me who I should work for or how much I should make.
Other than Gummint, building trades like Plumbers and Electricians, and teachers there isn't a lot of Union activity here any more.
Now if we could just get rid of the NEA..........
| | 3/23/2008 9:03:38 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
curiousone2
Springfield, IL
age: 42 online now!
| wow , so most people here are saying NO to Union huh?
Hoffa must be spinnin in his grave, wherever that is huh?
| | 3/23/2008 9:04:58 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
sdcentaur
Sioux Falls, SD
age: 48 online now!
| I wonder what Hoffa would say about the Union now?
| | 3/23/2008 9:06:26 PM | UAW Yes or No? | | 
southbuster
Haughton, LA
age: 31
| I have a lil to say........whether its about tha UAW or GM I dunno........my dad worked at a local GM plant here but was employed by another company that handled workers comp at tha plant.....my gripe is they are overpayin some of these people to stand on an assembly line and put one bolt in and one wonders why a truck is now forty thousand dollars my other complaint is they must hire about anybody tha parkin lot is covered with empty beer bottles.........just who I want building my truck 
| | 3/23/2008 9:31:47 PM | UAW Yes or No? | |
curiousone2
Springfield, IL
age: 42 online now!
| South,
not only are they overpaid, they have really expensive Insurance. It costs a fortune to employ an American.
that is why there are NO jobs here.
Obama said it in his speach.
for those of you that are worried that black people or foreigners are going to take your jobs, are being fooled, because it is " your corporate friends" that are sending your jobs outside of this country
It is a matter of profit, and you are only as useful to them as you are making them money. That is the natuyre of the corporate beast, you are expecting loyalty from a predator, Not going to happen folks.
we should have learned from Flynt huh? but NO we let the Insurance lobbyists , lobby us right out of our jobs.
|
|