Unions: Your Opinion Good or Bad?

[crystalwhitesvt]

I have been a union worker since day 1. I have been a part of 2 different unions. The 1st for 20 years and the current for 3 years. I currently work for Boeing in Washington State and I'm a member of IAM 751 which is a machinists union. We just recently voted down a 8 year extension to our existing contract that had what would have been major concessions on the employees part to supposedly secure work for Boeing's next deviation of the 777. A lot of people around the nation are calling us greedy for trying to keep in place what many of union machinists have fought for the last 50 years. I was just curious to hear what's the opinion of SVTP. Unions good or bad?

 

[RedRocketMike]

My opinion on Unions varies greatly, they are all different. My dad is a Union guy, a car repairman for the rail road. He doesn't seem to get the stereotypical perks that come with a Union job. He's been getting screwed out of basic cost of living raises regularly for the past 15/20 years. I worked on big commercial construction jobs through college and for a short period after. I've never seen lazier people than some who were in the trade unions, mainly electrical. The Philadelphia electricians union is a corrupt organization.

 

[UncleDan]

Public Sector Unions: Generally Bad
Private Sector Unions: Generally Good

I'm in one now and I like it so far. Amazing healthcare benefits, amazing pension, annuity, and good pay. I have yet to see any Union goon BS that goes on in other ones.

 

[01Jes]

I got out 2yrs ago. If you're a hard worker and a smart mother****er. **** the union

 

[RocketSurgeon]

Great and necessary when they started and workers' conditions could be deplorable but largely irrelevant and bad for business today.

I'm sure there are some good unions out there that really just look out for their members but far too many are just greedy.

 

[ford fanatic]

Good and bad...I'm in Local 976-C. Didn't we all just have this arguement?


Edit: Forgot my op:

 

[PowerShiftz02gt]

From my experience in the automotive industry they are what prevent us from running operations efficiently, effectively and are only holding us back from a business strategy stand point by abusing the system...

 

[RedRocketMike]

Unions should exist to protect the benefits/pay/ and all that goes along with making a job what it should be. But it should not exist to protect people who should be let go from being let go.

 

[DaleM]

Political tools. Check out the declining membership. It is hard to generalize all unions.

 

[Gray_Ghost]

I was in the local USW for 8 years and it was ESSENTIAL to our guys getting proper treatment by our employer. I saw a few guys lose fingers and hands and a girl I went to high school with died there. If it wasn't for the Union it would've been worse. We constantly fought for safer working conditions.

 

[jbs$]

Government through it's labor, OSHA, EPA and many other agencies, has long since replaced a labor union's original purpose of protecting a worker from harm and economic mis-treatment. Unions are now run for the benefit of those who run and manage the union and for the benefit of the dem-o-rat party. A union does nothing of long term value to the worker whose paycheck takes a weekly hit. With almost without exception, a unionized company will be long term non-competitive in the market place. It's ability to expand, add new technology or efficient business methods will be delayed or stopped by union interference.

 

[NJ03SVTCobra]

Unions are useless in 2013.

 

[Coiled03]

Need something worse than "bad" in here.

They've long outlived their usefulness and now do nothing but promote mediocrity and laziness. Why anybody with an ounce of marketable skill would want to be part of one is beyond me.

In closing: **** unions!

 

[crystalwhitesvt]

Unions should exist to protect the benefits/pay/ and all that goes along with making a job what it should be. But it should not exist to protect people who should be let go from being let go.

This is pretty much my opinion as well. I always approached work like I did sports. If I wasn't the best at what I was doing, I was going to outwork whoever I thought was ahead of me.

 

[svtaddict]

im a member of a union and the reason i think some union workers are lazy is there is no incentive to be better at what you do. as long as you do the minimum and dont get fired you WILL get a raise eventually. your seniority dictates everything.

 

[usmotox]

Need something worse than "bad" in here.

They've long outlived their usefulness and now do nothing but promote mediocrity and laziness. Why anybody with an ounce of marketable skill would want to be part of one is beyond me.

In closing: **** unions!

I kind of like unions but nafta kind of hurt them bad so when your job also lands south of the border holler back

 

[WutApex]

Don't mess up my EIP with this union crap.

 

[crystalwhitesvt]

I would be interested to see how if any difference there is between the working conditions at Boeing in Washington State which is all union and South Carolina which is a right to work state.

 

[281cubes]

I've been with UPS for over 10 years. Union for about 2 of those and management the remaining 8+. Like others have said, it varies depending on the stewardship/representation/contract language. At the heart of it, you have those who follow the contract to the T and others who are willing to give and take (the way it should be). Behind the scenes, unions are their own businesses out making money to pad the upper's pockets. Many of our union folks have stated that even to me, the "enemy" management guy. The benefits are typically very good, however, but I feel that comes down to the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" between the company and the union where as long as the top dogs from each side can still have their vacation homes, it's considered a win-win regardless of the negotiation.

 

[nickf2005]

Great and necessary when they started and workers' conditions could be deplorable but largely irrelevant and bad for business today.

Bingo

From my experience in the automotive industry they are what prevent us from running operations efficiently, effectively and are only holding us back from a business strategy stand point by abusing the system...

No wonder a new F-150 costs $40,000.

Unions should exist to protect the benefits/pay/ and all that goes along with making a job what it should be. But it should not exist to protect people who should be let go from being let go.

If one doesn't like the benefits or pay of certain employer, why not leave and go to another? If your talented enough, then you should have no problem getting a company to pay you what you're worth.

I was in the local USW for 8 years and it was ESSENTIAL to our guys getting proper treatment by our employer. I saw a few guys lose fingers and hands and a girl I went to high school with died there. If it wasn't for the Union it would've been worse. We constantly fought for safer working conditions.

What about OSHA? If you're seeing people get hurt why not 1. Leave or 2. Have the employees take things into their own hands and change the safety culture of the company?

Government through it's labor, OSHA, EPA and many other agencies, has long since replaced a labor union's original purpose of protecting a worker from harm and economic mis-treatment. Unions are now run for the benefit of those who run and manage the union and for the benefit of the dem-o-rat party. A union does nothing of long term value to the worker whose paycheck takes a weekly hit. With almost without exception, a unionized company will be long term non-competitive in the market place. It's ability to expand, add new technology or efficient business methods will be delayed or stopped by union interference.

BINGO #2

Unions are useless in 2013.

Bingo #3

Need something worse than "bad" in here.

They've long outlived their usefulness and now do nothing but promote mediocrity and laziness. Why anybody with an ounce of marketable skill would want to be part of one is beyond me.

In closing: **** unions!

Exactly... if one is guaranteed their job and pay, then where is the incentive to work hard and efficiently? I keep doing my job well so I don't get fired or miss out on a raise/bonus.

im a member of a union and the reason i think some union workers are lazy is there is no incentive to be better at what you do. as long as you do the minimum and dont get fired you WILL get a raise eventually. your seniority dictates everything.

This is what I was getting at in the above post. :beer: