right-to-fire state, so 100% of our part-timers are union. Membership isnt an option here, no one gets a free ride. Last time I checked, there were 22 righ-to-fire states, so those are the locations where there might be low union membership among the part-timers.
Now there you see the issue. You force people to belong to the union without any options. Regardless of how much or little they make.
Now, those same people who you force to be part of the union got the shaft. So why should they even be a part of the union? After all, you full timers got all the gravy, not the part time people. So why make them belong to the union that sold them out? I dont see the logic.
As for low membership where people have a choice, you bet. There are very few part time hourly in the union. Shame, because many of them make pretty good money. For a while, we had a part timer that was the highest grossing UPSer in our building because of the shift work, not being under DOT hour restrictions, etc etc. Back 8 years ago, he grossed over 80 grand. Not bad for part time minimum wage job.........
I look at it this way. Forcing people to belong to a union is the wrong attitude. Allow them the choice, and make it something they would be proud and willing to join. Then you have a strong union.
Otherwise it will be like the roman legions late in the empire. Yes they had about 2.5 million soldiers, one of the most massive armies ever known. But they were mostly forced labor, hired guns, not the volunteers that would lay down their lives for the cause.
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