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saddletramp
January 3rd, 2007, 07:37
Since I have been home quite a bit lately due to some health problems I have had the time to browse some different web sites and read up on the Union vs. non Union subjects and have gained some interesting insight on how different people in all kinds of trades view labor both positive and negative.

Of course there is always plenty of negative feelings to go around about belonging to a labor organization to fill up forums and shared posting sites.
Some are from those who once belonged to a union and left because they feel they were misrepresented or lost a greivance or job because the union didnt do the job they were supposed to.

On one site I read a bunch of diatribe about how the unions only protect the "fat lazy worker and do nothing for the person who actually does all the work". What amused me about this was this same person who was making these assumptions was also found elsewhere going on about how people who were working at a small factory that had a labor agreement were not making the big wages a large factory was paying out and that this union must be real weak to not get better wages for its workers. Then in the next paragraph he started in on how some other workers were way over paid for the job they were doing.!

I guess this guy couldnt get his complaints straight, since he was to insinuate that it was the unions fault if the workers were making too much money or they were underpaid! :wtf:

So tell me what you think about the double standards trade unions have to live under. And please dont fill the page up with stories about the "fat lazy dock worker who wouldnt unload you in a timely fashion cause we have all heard it many times and it doesnt need to be addressed again and again.

I will stand aside and let you all have at it if you are interested and lets see if we can get some good conversation going here! ;)

Randg1
January 3rd, 2007, 11:53
Good morning Bob :D , I'm just killin time right now so guess I'll tell my only union story.... In 1957 I was out of a job & went to Vickers Hyd. in Torrance, Ca. in answer to a add for a Instrumentation Tech. position. At the time this was a brand new field & there was no wage history to draw from. I sat down with management & we worked out a wage package we could both live with. I selected an hourly package due to a lot of overtime involved. I knew that the Machinist Union was there but I was'nt a machinist & worked directly with the R&D engineering dept. so I never considered that I was going to join the union. That changed 2 weeks later when the shop steward came by with the paper work to join & a bill for $200. plus $10./mo. for dues... Basically I told him that I found the job, they did'nt & I was not going pay them for what I had done myself.
This was before right to work so I had to quit for a week & then rehire as an engnr. . I only stayed there for another 8 mo. because my car was being vandalized constantly.

Randg1
January 14th, 2007, 09:57
Geee Tramp, didn't mean to kill your thread!! Sorry :ninja:

saddletramp
January 14th, 2007, 20:15
Its ok Oldbear,

I thought it might spur some interest but unless it affects alot of these folks personally you will not get much conversation about union issues, and usually to the negative................ :no:

LSMR
January 14th, 2007, 22:23
I worked from 84' to 94' for Ryder Truck Rental.During my time there I worked in 6 different locations in both management and mechanics positions.

As a mechanic I preferred the union shops and believe it or not as management I prfefered the union shops.The reason is because all details of the job were in a simple contract that both parties had access to.