The worthless union

[JonFrum]

. . . Also @ salts: I think of my union dues as paying for my healthcare. Either pay dues or pay a portion of each of your checks to pay for your benes.

If you're in the Bargaining Unit you get the same healthcare for the same cost as a union member or as a non-member. Makes no difference.

 

[anonymous6]

I have absolutely no interest in joining the union. I do not need job security as my work speaks for itself, does anyone know how to avoid joining the union at UPS? I believe that I should keep every penny of my paycheck, my hard earned money deserves to stay in my pocket - not in the corrupt hands of a union. Any advice?

advice? ya go live in China for a year and then come back and let me know if you feel the same way.

 

[anonymous6]

i worked for non union companies ( 28 to be exact ) for 25 years before this company. it may be true that a lot of protections in non union companies are given by state and local governments. But where did they originate? from the hard work of unions in the first place.

so for 25 years i worked for half wages, twice the hrs to keep a roof over my head and food on the table, never had a paid holiday, paid vacation, a paid sick day. worked sick and or hurt many times. no job security to speak of. could be fired at the whim of any jerk without any recourse.

i could go on and on for another hr.

you're right ....unions really do suck.

 

[anonymous6]

There's a fourth option: Wait a few years as Big Labor travels further down its road to self-destruction.

Organized Labor has been going slowly, steadily downhill for over half a century, in good times and bad, under Democrats and Republicans alike.

Now Labor has hitched its ride to the Radical Left and the Occupy Movement. That alienates a lot of people.

Union Pension Funds are a financial disaster and will only get worse as no new members or employers want to get on a sinking ship.

The Unions in Federal, State and Local Government have so worn out their welcome that even Democrat Mayors, and Governors have turned against them. Paying for their demands is seen as impossible as it will lead to bankruptcy. Look for Unions to be banned in most Government workplaces, or at least greatly reduced in power.

The public is turned off by Union strong-arm tactics and violence.

The NLRB is key to Union strength. But it has been so pro-Labor that a backlash is brewing. Look for it to be reduced in power, and Labor Laws rewritten.

The prolonged Recession/Depression is hurting Unions by reducing membership, and reducing investment earnings in their benefit funds.

And then there's five more years of Hoffa, the impossible-to-reform Old Guard, concessionary Contracts, a non-functioning National Grievance Committee, high dues for very little representation, and an angry and dejected workforce.

The End Is Near.

the pendulum swings both ways. you are right. for now it is swinging the wrong way. when the top 5 % owns 98 % of this country and the middle class is gone, it's gonna get ugly.

 

[brown_trousers]

There's a fourth option: Wait a few years as Big Labor travels further down its road to self-destruction.

Organized Labor has been going slowly, steadily downhill for over half a century, in good times and bad, under Democrats and Republicans alike.

Now Labor has hitched its ride to the Radical Left and the Occupy Movement. That alienates a lot of people.

Union Pension Funds are a financial disaster and will only get worse as no new members or employers want to get on a sinking ship.

The Unions in Federal, State and Local Government have so worn out their welcome that even Democrat Mayors, and Governors have turned against them. Paying for their demands is seen as impossible as it will lead to bankruptcy. Look for Unions to be banned in most Government workplaces, or at least greatly reduced in power.

The public is turned off by Union strong-arm tactics and violence.

The NLRB is key to Union strength. But it has been so pro-Labor that a backlash is brewing. Look for it to be reduced in power, and Labor Laws rewritten.

The prolonged Recession/Depression is hurting Unions by reducing membership, and reducing investment earnings in their benefit funds.

And then there's five more years of Hoffa, the impossible-to-reform Old Guard, concessionary Contracts, a non-functioning National Grievance Committee, high dues for very little representation, and an angry and dejected workforce.

The End Is Near.

I think it's just more of an issue with the "weaker" unions and/or unions that have lost the motivation to get things done. Other unions have been able to succeed and/or survive just fine despite current economic conditions. I know many electricians and plumbers and police that have no complaints about their union, and seem to be very happy with their jobs.

Looking at the history of teamsters with UPS, the union leaders used to be much more motivated and accomplished a lot more than anything we see nowadays. I think every time we sign a new contract it immediately becomes the "weakest" contract in UPS history, showing the weakest amount of improvement in wages, benefits, etc..

It would be interesting to graph all the previous contracts in UPS history showing the percentage increase of wages and benefits. I'd bet that this last contract showed the least percentage increase in any category.

 

[ups before dawn]

...

 

[Inthegame]

...

That's what I was thinking.