Job Happiness and Union vs Non-Union

[Motorhead]

Union and Happy

I work at UPS and the union is essential there. The Union is also a two edged sword. They have protected a few people that deserved to be fired. I agree with M lee in that the unoins help to provide a living wage for the blue collar worker. I get mad at non union private industry that lets workers go just before they are ready to retire so that they don't have to pay them as much retirement. Or the guy that has worked for 30 years at the same place and loses his job because he isn't as fast as he was when he was younger. I have run into problems at UPS because of my age and that my back is worn out after 25 years. They want to hire the young and dumb to their ways people. They don't especially take a liking to me because I'm a union steward,I know the rules, I call them on it when they screw up, and I educate the Newbys. My . 02 I respect all others opinions and I hope that they respect mine. What ever works for you!!! Chris

 

[merryman]

joosoot;

Nope, they did not make me work there and I left as soon as I lined up something else. The jobs that fit with a full time college schedule made the choices a bit limited at times--example the fact that the non-union mill allways seemed to have a long waiting list to get on and the Union shop allways had jobs unfilled.



Babydriver;

When there is no financial support but yourself, you do a lot of diff. jobs to get through college and law school---some of those years were in Union jobs and not a one of the union jobs was a good experience. They all seemed to be about the fringe benifits of the union officials and the prerogatives of those favored by the union people. None of the situations I experienced seemed to have anything to do with improving the lot of the ordinary worker.

I of course can only go by what I saw and of course the Jimmy Hoffas of the world that make the news.



Vaughn

 

[Speedo]

There are a lot of people who hold bad opinions of unions and there are admittedly some unions that deserve to be held in low

esteem. That being said, I think that everyone who gets paid a

fair wage, has benefits, has a normal 40 hour work week and gets paid overtime for anything over that should stop and thank

unions in general. If you think that these things just happen you have not paid attention to history. These are some of the things

that happened because there were unions willing to fight for them. There are a lot of non-union employees who benefit from unions because their employers want to keep unions at bay.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but there are a lot of people who bad mouth unions that wouldn't be as well off as they are today if it weren't for unions.

 

[Steve M]

A roaring applaus for speedo!

 

[MLee]

Thank you very much, that is the point that i was trying to make sooo long ago and yes i did get a little erritated at the narrow mindedness of some of the post that were made. do you say that if you make $20. 00 plus an hour that, this is to much? your over paid for what you do? do look for another job that pays less? so you can feel good about yourself? I've had that statement made in my presence. the person did quit and found another job that paid less. the brothers that stick together have a better way of life, one for all and all for one. though we may be a dying breed thanks anyway.

 

[The patriot]

I'm not a big "rah rah rah" union guy, but I think it would be a plus where I work.

Eric

 

[JSoloman]

My views may be a bit skewed. I'm a manager working for the State with seasonal union employees. They have become far too expensive, along with being lazy, just enough motivation to do their minimum requirements to get by. The light at the end of the tunnel... the last couple of years the work has been shared with contracted labor and the union labor. The feasibility study shows a far more productive work force with the contracted labor. I may be smiling again.



For those staunch union members, I was shop steward for 5 years before becoming a manager. The union has its place. In government, I think employees are well taken care of. There really is no room for the union there any longer.