The company certainly is.
And, there are some lazy Union officials. (not most)
Being that I know Dave and Sam, I can understand the sentiment.
But hey.... the majority of your Local voted for them.
Not in the Central Region.
You're giving it a good shot.
Don't get me wrong..
I enjoy reading your posts. You seem intelligent and well spoken.
But, if I had a nickel for every "locker room lawyer" I've run across....
And everyone should remember that.
These type of issues, should be aired in the confines of the Local Union hall.
Not in public....
Where the company can see how weak, some are.
-Bug-
Thanks bug for the left-handed compliment, but you really have no idea what my credentials are or are not. I think you know I'm not a "locker room lawyer" though, and I've seen my share of those too over the years. Maybe even more than you. Maybe.
Thanks to inthegame prompting me to study the language in detail, I agree that Central Region has little wiggle room on this issue, although bubblehead makes the best argument in support of opposition for that group. Instead of rejecting his argument out-of-hand, think about massaging it a little.
Like I pointed out yesterday, true leaders should be looking for any angle they can use in support of negotiated benefits for their co-workers and/or constituents. Any argument to the contrary is a cop-out and an embarassment. Invite the grievance and support it rather than poisoning the well. You don't have to fully support the complaint, but you do have an obligation to hear it and let it run it's course.
I also take issue with your recommendation to air disagreements in private rather than public. For one thing, if you fully agreed with that premise, you wouldn't be on here commenting in the first place.
Surely everyone knows when they join this site that it can and likely is a tool for propaganda utilized by all sides. Only the most naive would miss that probability, and it shouldn't take a saavy reader long to identify the potential propagandists. Certainly I am by now fingered as one, although I only came here in search of answers and ended up trying to offer some options in passing. Rest assured I won't be posting in perpetuity.
Another thing you seem to take for granted is that the company doesn't already know "how weak some are". They cultivate relationships in the workplace for the purpose of gathering information. Even the upsers.com site is a tool to that end. They know precisely who the players are, dissenters and supporters alike. So do union thugs and anyone else with chips on the table.
Air your problems where you choose. It really doesn't matter. At least in public you stand a better likelihood of giving others hope and inspiring them to stand up alongside you. "In the local union hall you're subject to control and domination if that is desired by those controlling the flow of the meeting.
It's not that I wholely disagree with your opinion on the matter, it's just that you seem to be having difficulty thinking outside the box that has been built around you. Use the tools you obviously possess to pull down the walls of that box instead of reinforcing them. The air outside is a lot fresher and more satisfying once you get a whiff or two.
