posted March 31, 2007 01:06 PM                      

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Tim
Why on earth would you work for someone that would ask you to work in a unsafe manor or treat you like shit? I'd be gone in a New York minute.
PM
edited for spelling

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Paul, (and Andy) a man has his own beliefs, and I wouldn't try to change yours. What I think is the problem in not taking your advice is that there exists a contract between the company and the collective bargaining agent, and it is Tim's belief that there is a violation of that agreement. Therefore, if he decided to leave in a New York minute, the all knowing and all powerful company would visit an injustice upon a good employee. Fortunately, in his case, at least he has somebody to pleade his case with the company which usually likes to opperate unilaterally, assuming every member of management never makes a mistake.

Without the union defending him, yeah, Tim would not have much choice, right or wrong. Most all large companies hate to admit a mistake, and there is seldom an oversight committee, so occasionally an employee can (and will be) disciplined unjustly. Large corporations would rather screw a defenseless employee than admit that a supervisor errored.

So, you have the Screen Actors Guild, The Airline Pilots Association, and many professional organizations that seem to duck under the radar because they avoid the stigma of a "union" label.

I think what has disappeared forever is the attitude of unions to DEMAND things unfairly from the corporate world. Things have a way of evening out, eventually.

On the other hand, the general attitude of the public is that the union member does very little and is paid a lot. In other words, a little jealousy might be involved, and a few employers that feel they can do everything they want, regardless of the ethics involved, without repercussion.

In other words, they sometimes mistakenly believe that they are God and the people that work for them are servants, discarded at whim.

Not always the case, but to think that the unions are always outrageous and the company is always benevolent is not a true picture of reality.

In a way, belonging to a union is like having a personal lawyer on retainer to look after a workers best interests. Does that seem unreasonable, worthy of contempt?

My feelings about this has changed 180º in the past 20/30 years and I have seen the light. I don't care what others think, but there is nothing evil in a collective bargaining agreement, to my mind.

My wife worked for a supermarket chain and belonged to the Retail Clerks Union. I once belonged to the I.B.E.W, while attending college at night. Anyway, she made fair wages and had good benefits and I never saw abuses, so I have a positive attitude concerning unions, in general. Maybe they ain't perfect, but occasionally they offer help when there is no other, and I think the days are over where they pursue an unworthy claim for an employee that has screwed up. Stealing will still get you fired, missing work because of unforseen (but valid) circumstances, won't.

Okay, I know you won't be convinced, but there it is.

Good hunting. LB

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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!

posted March 31, 2007 04:56 PM                      

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tell you how you should vote

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