Xerces Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 So, I'm not against unions, I believe they can be a powerful force for equal worker rights. But what I don't believe is that all unions are equal. Especially my local union. Here is a conversation I recently had with my union rep: You should see union dues start coming out this Friday on your pay check. Dues are based on the position that you work at the store. You will have $18.75 per week taken out for the next two months. Than it will be $8.88 per week. If you need more detail on this please CALL me as I had requested before. It is to hard to explain and make sure you understand through email. and my reply: Considering I probably make about the same as everyone else that is non management, I hardly see that as fair. It isn't so much the dues as it is the taxes. That rate for dues plus taxes is ridiculous. Even more so since I am not a full time worker. I've heard that union perks actually used to be better and workers didn't have to accumulate as many hours to receive a pay raise. But not to long ago the hours needed for pay raises got substantially higher. Which makes it look as if UFCW caves into corporate interests. And it's funny, because even with the jacked up requirements, they still try to find ways to cut peoples' hours so that they take longer to reach the next pay grade. I haven't experienced this yet at my current employer, but I sure experienced it at my previous one. I'm starting to think people that work for the union are more concerned with making sure they receive their salary through union dues, and having money for political lobbying, as opposed to making sure everyone is getting treated fairly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RankStranger Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Well look at it this way- at least you have guaranteed pay raises of SOME sort. Non-union workers have no such thing. I had a union job years ago... my first diesel mechanic job out of tech school. I worked at three similar (but non-union) jobs after that. Two paid similarly, one paid A LOT less. None of the three had benefits that were even close to what I got at the union job. Both working conditions and relations with management were much MUCH worse at the non-union jobs. So all things being equal, I'd generally prefer a union job. But there aren't many good-paying jobs at all in the retail industry- union or non-union. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 So all things being equal, I'd generally prefer a union job. But there aren't many good-paying jobs at all in the retail industry- union or non-union. Believe me I know. I've no idea why people actually stay in retail, other than necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 Why we need right-to-work laws in every state....oh well...... I'd support something like that if it was proposed here. But unfortunately the membership is mandatory at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadedAtheist Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Why we need right-to-work laws in every state....oh well...... Wouldn't that make unions more abundant, and stronger? If I lived in a state where I had no rights, I would form a union that spanned every industry known to man and get every man and woman to join it. If I got taken down, everyone else left too. Talk about crippling the economy. I think the system here pretty much negates the need of unions but they still exist and to be honest, I don't really like them from what I know about them. Here, you get benefits like sick leave, holidays and job security as a given, but unlike union jobs, there isn't a guaranteed pay rise. In my previous jobs, I had to fight for them, but I got them because my employers needed me. In my current job, since it's a fairly large company (it's in the Fortune 500) I pretty much have a guaranteed pay rise every year. I just wish it'd be more fast moving so I can get into the positions I want to be in but I'll have to wait I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ro-bear Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Why we need right-to-work laws in every state....oh well...... Yes, we need this so employers can treat their employees like shit, just like they do in Tennessee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ro-bear Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Then I pick the poison I have never had. The people who take that poison make more money than I ever have, and they are harder to fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I had a job with great pay and benefits but the union was weak as this is a right to work state. Nobody can be required to join the union. But we always had a contract. I didn't mind paying the dues which weren't much really. The less you pay for union representation, the crappier representation you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Why we need right-to-work laws in every state....oh well...... Wouldn't that make unions more abundant, and stronger? If I lived in a state where I had no rights, I would form a union that spanned every industry known to man and get every man and woman to join it. If I got taken down, everyone else left too. Talk about crippling the economy. I think the system here pretty much negates the need of unions but they still exist and to be honest, I don't really like them from what I know about them. Here, you get benefits like sick leave, holidays and job security as a given, but unlike union jobs, there isn't a guaranteed pay rise. In my previous jobs, I had to fight for them, but I got them because my employers needed me. In my current job, since it's a fairly large company (it's in the Fortune 500) I pretty much have a guaranteed pay rise every year. I just wish it'd be more fast moving so I can get into the positions I want to be in but I'll have to wait I guess. Right-to-work laws in the USA means there are no "Closed shops". You are not forced to join a union even if a union is in a work place. In non Right-to-work states, if you want to go to work in a union shop, you have no choice but to join the union. Often, the unions treat the employee as wayward child who needs to be spanked if they veer from the union line. They are in reality no better than the corporate heavy handedness. I'm sure there are lousy unions with corrupt leaders. But I've seen my father's union take damn good care of its employees. He was in a closed shop and never complained about it. He never complained about the union treating him as a wayward child. He certainly bitched about the boss now and then, however. :-) I'm in a right-to-work (right to get screwed by your employer) state and worked in a union job though membership was not mandatory. And so it was a weak union and representation was a joke. But it was better than nothing. "Right to work" is a misnomer as every citizen has the 'right to work.' Sometimes you just have to join a union to exercise that right to work. Mandatory union membership does not take away your right to work. "Right to work" is about as apt as "Defense of marriage act." Is marriage under attack? No, it isnt. :-) That's my liberal view anyway. Feel free to shred it to pieces..or even ignore it. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 As for me....I work for myself. I don't have a union or a boss....I am the boss, I am the employee....I work when I want, take off when I want..I control my own destiny. That's the best job situation of em all... ha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue elephant Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Main reason most people I know join the union is for effective action if workplace bullying goes on. Management has a tendency to side with the boss on that stuff. Heck, even some of the workplace bullies join the union! ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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