Union mentality... I'll never understand it

Don't forget to clock out

 

So, where were we? Oh right, in 1889 a factory worker by the name of Eustace T Johnson had an accident in a cotton gin. His fellow workers lobbied to have the company help pay for......oh wait.....lunch time......

 

I will never understand how "no job" is better than "a job". But in the private sector they can negotiate how they want. It's the private sector so they can run their business how they choose to run it. The only thing that pisses me off here is when it's mismanaged and they then ask the government to bail them out.

My issue is in the public sector where the unions have aligned themselfs with those in office in order to fleece the tax payers.

 

The sound of tool belts simultaneously hitting the floor on a union job site at coffee break is nearly deafening sometimes. Those guys make military drill teams look like a bunch of drunks staggering out of a bar after close.

When I was a union carpenter, it was almost as frustrating as not being in the union now.

That fat assed, caddy driving, suit wearing, rolex wearing, business agent the represented us, made me sick. The only work that guy did during the day was levering his fat ass out of bed in the morning.

 

My union does not protect the lazy or criminal. We also have a 'no strike' clause in our contract. Break time? Not where I work. If there is work to be done, you skip breaks and lunch time. It's not uncommon to work 10 hours or more without a break.

Not all unions are bad.

 

What is the purpose of a union in 2012?

Why aren't there unions everywhere, in every state and country?

 

^^ this. As an HR professional, I understand the history of unions as well as anyone. They did a lot of great things for us in the past. Most of those "basic human rights" that businesses trampled on are now law. Most current unions are now as bad as the "evil corporations" they fight when it comes to protecting their bottom line. They sell nothing more than a hope/prayer in the form of "security" when, in fact, they end up being the primary contributor to jobs moving elsewhere for cost measures. Not all, unions are bad or operate that way, but a majority do. They always point to the overpaid CEO as their rationale for demanding higher wages. Again, an overpaid CEO doesn't justify an overpaid workforce.

 

My thoughts exactly.

There will always be somebody getting paid more than you. If you don't like that fact do something about it.
Expecting to get paid more by not working (striking) is so stupid that there isn't even a word for it.

 

I agree with the sentiment on current large union dynamics. Still, worker representation is required in some form.

 

New Jersey Governor (R) declares New Jersey a disaster area.
United States President (D) declares New Jersey a disaster area.
What don't you understand that this is a disaster area?
People are cold and hungry!
Put away that union my job only, mentality.
If it was your family, you wouldn't feel that way.
It is ridiculous not to use qualified linemen sent from another state in this emergency!!
Get to work!

 

Some negativity has been expressed about corporate jets being used by CEO's doing business, what I find funny is the unions have corporate jets too and no one is mentioning them flying around on the members dues.

 

Well said, IMHO, they [unions] certainly made more enemies by doing what they did, if I were still out of power I'd be enormously pissed off right now.

 

I don't disagree. I agree with unions in their true form as far as employees banding together to stand up and say x isn't right. But the second dues come into play, it's about the money, not standing togeter to right a wrong.

 

A couple thoughts: First, fuck unions. Fuck every last one of them right square in their entitled rectums. (recti?).

Second, fuck unions.

I work in a closed shop environment. Never have I seen more crooked and corrupt behavior in my life. The unions are for profit entities, pretending to plot the poor innocent victims against the evil companies...of which they are one.

Gents: It's called capitalism. Ironically most ignorant jackass union fanbois I know basically shit their pants at the mention of unions being, effectively, founded on socialist principles.

I'll shut up now. Thumbs are getting tired.

One last question to ponder to yourselves: If losing your (1) job would provide 1000 jobs to your neighbors....would you do it?

 

Maybe not,but just curious. What does justify an overpaid CEO? In your opinion of course.

When a company is failing and the CEO gets a bonus while cutting workers pay, union or not, how is that justified.

-Joe

 

This may be because you only get to see the union behavior. Get a peak at the things that go on in the board room and your jaw would drop. The decisions that are made and the rationale used to justify them can be sickening. If you have a conscious that is.

Having said that I can't justify some of the unions behavior. The demand for higher wages and more benefits in the face of inflated executive pay is hard to argue against though.

- Joe

 

Thank you. Your reply is much appreciated.

I'm a Union Firefighter and also live in Ocean County, NJ.

We have been hit very hard here.

I;ve been running my ass off on both my paid and volunteer fire departments all the while, trying to protect my own family and home.

My paid(Union) Fire Department has even offered to go anywhere to help anyone.


So ease up on the Union and New Jersey Bashing.



It is a war zone here.

 

A salaried or hourly wage employee has no idea (obviously) what a CEO does on a day to day basis or what it took to get to his / her position. You were hired to do a particular job for a particular wage AND YOU TOOK THE JOB.
Why on earth would you compare or associate what you get paid to what the person running the company gets paid?

If you want to get paid what a CEO gets paid go to school and get a CEO degree and become one.

 

North Carolina has been hit by more hurricanes and tornado's than New Jersey ever will. Much more destruction than you can imagine, even in your position today.
We don't have unions here.

What's your point?

Workers from NC and many other non union states came to help you and you sent them packing.
Your on your own with very little sympathy.

 

Because if a CEO or management is asking for concessions the right thing to do is take them yourself. Not use them as a way to justify their pay.

I don't have the source readily available but the ratio of executive pay to bottom worker pay is greater than it's been since the great depression. Odd how we are in the worse economic times since then too. Think there is any relationship? I don't bemoan greater compensation for hard work but executive salaries have become excessive. IMHO

- Joe