Union, good or bad.

[SCUMFROG]

Can someone please tell me the good and bad things about working in a union company? People were out in front of were I work this morning handing out flyers. Some of the people that work here are just complaining about how they don't want a union in here cause we'll loose our benefits and we'll get laid off all kinds of stuff. I don't enough about the union so can someone tell me more. I'd like to go to the meeting and hear what they have to say. I don't want this post to turn into a fight about if a union is good or not so please don't get mad. I'm just confused about it.

[IFallsRon]

Listen to what the organizers say and discuss it with your coworkers. You need to determine if there's enough good points to make it work at your organization without messing up what your employer has already done for you. Unions aren't for every line of work but they do have their place.

[SCUMFROG]

I think what alot of is, that they just keep taking things away from us. And its really making people mad. By the way the union is U.A.W. if that helps.

[slotfish]

i'll throw in some thoughts.....

i'm in sales, and sell jobs for a crew of over a dozen union workers. many of the larger jobs sold, or bid, are for jobsites or companies that have unions. so in this type of business, it's a bonus to have a union, both for the (union) installers and the administration; the union workers on a union site theory = more work = more money for the company. rarely, if ever, have i been discriminated against in a non-union bid situation.

from listening to, and working (in the field)with some of our union members, the general consensus is that they like it. they're paid well, protected from irrational termination, good benefits, retirement, etc. it also (in our case) creates a high level of comaraderie among the members.

on the other hand, some feel that the compensaton piece it unfair. higher (or lower) wages can't be paid in terms of performance, or lack of performance. it's mostly based on tenure.

lastly, check into the vacation or PTO allowance, (to me) it seems a little stingy, at first. although i'm always worried about not having enough time to fish!!

[irvingdog]

Ohhhhhh, this has the potential to be the mother-of-all-flamewars!!
Vexilar-vs-Marcum?
Eating bass-vs-releasing?
Poaching topics?
Tritronics-vs-Dogtra?

This should have them all beat!

Asbestos keyboard required.

[sami0115]

you forgot Ford vs. Chevy ....

[SCUMFROG]

I don't want that to happen. I just need help understanding all this. And I know posting it here will get more opinions then asking the people I work with. So far all I've heard is how bad it'll be. Is it really that bad??

[Farley]

you also forgot liberals vs. conservatives (outdoor political forum)

[Borch]

A lot depends on your current employer.

In some cases the employer is purely looking out for themselves, often at the expense of it's employees. Viewing them as having no/little value and purely expendable. In this case a union may be beneficial to it's workers.

On the other hand if the employer views it's employees as a valuable part of the organization. It does what it can in regards to health care, benefits and wages. It's flexible in dealing with personal concerns of it's employees. Then the last thing your need is a union. Besides having to pay union dues you will gain little and lose much of what you have in regards to flexibility in schedule, compensation and promotion.

You mention that many are upset about loss in benefits. Well given the increased costs in health care and other benefit costs you're not in that boat alone. It's not that the employer is out to hose you. They are just trying to survive in many cases.

Just what I have seen.

[Guest]

Moving to appropriate forum.