Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Most of the anti-union posts I've seen are from foplks who have never been a member of a union...or, if they were a member, never went to union meetings or otherwise participated in the business of the union, then complained because the union didn't listen to them...or, if they did participate, went home sniveling because their viewpoint wasn't supported by the majority of the membership, and was voted down.
Or maybe they never worked a non-union job, and got fired because the boss was having a bad day and you did nothing wrong. Or never worked a job where you were passed over for promotions because you didn't attend the boss' church, or you weren't the same political party as the boss [even if you kept your politics to yourself at work].
Yup, I've heard of religious discrimination these days, right here in the good ol' US of A. I used to hear a non-Catholic businessman who was a neighbor complain that whenever he lost a potential customer to an openly Catholic competitor in the monument business that the competitor had "rattled the beads" on him. I was once referred to a chiropractor by a minister at a local Church of Christ, who told the doc to give me his best rate because "he's one of us." And on the job, I've seen people who were fellow church members with the boss who got promotions, raises, and special consideration [extra time off, "excused" for coming in late/leaving early] that no one else did. So it happens...but under a union contract, you won't lose your job for pointing out [via filing a grievance] that you weren't treated the same as the other worker.
Have unions ever asked for more than they deserve? Yeah, certainly...the same way a used car dealer often overprices some popular models. Just like the car dealer, they price things high so they have room to negotiate lower and to settle for what they really want. As long as the union's bargaining committee brings the company proposal back to the rank-and-file to vote on it, then it's the members, and not the leadership of the union, who are determining policy.
Like all other human endeavors, NO union is perfect. But not all unions are the way the anti-union folks portray them here. I've been union, and I've been non-union...and I prefer to work for a union. Sure, sometimes the undeserving are protected by the union; but usually, had the supervisor or the company followed procedures, which are spelled out in the contract for both labor and management to see, management would have prevailed and the union would've backed off.
Or maybe they never worked a non-union job, and got fired because the boss was having a bad day and you did nothing wrong. Or never worked a job where you were passed over for promotions because you didn't attend the boss' church, or you weren't the same political party as the boss [even if you kept your politics to yourself at work].
Yup, I've heard of religious discrimination these days, right here in the good ol' US of A. I used to hear a non-Catholic businessman who was a neighbor complain that whenever he lost a potential customer to an openly Catholic competitor in the monument business that the competitor had "rattled the beads" on him. I was once referred to a chiropractor by a minister at a local Church of Christ, who told the doc to give me his best rate because "he's one of us." And on the job, I've seen people who were fellow church members with the boss who got promotions, raises, and special consideration [extra time off, "excused" for coming in late/leaving early] that no one else did. So it happens...but under a union contract, you won't lose your job for pointing out [via filing a grievance] that you weren't treated the same as the other worker.
Have unions ever asked for more than they deserve? Yeah, certainly...the same way a used car dealer often overprices some popular models. Just like the car dealer, they price things high so they have room to negotiate lower and to settle for what they really want. As long as the union's bargaining committee brings the company proposal back to the rank-and-file to vote on it, then it's the members, and not the leadership of the union, who are determining policy.
Like all other human endeavors, NO union is perfect. But not all unions are the way the anti-union folks portray them here. I've been union, and I've been non-union...and I prefer to work for a union. Sure, sometimes the undeserving are protected by the union; but usually, had the supervisor or the company followed procedures, which are spelled out in the contract for both labor and management to see, management would have prevailed and the union would've backed off.