Unions- What do you think?

CR83 - 4-29-2005 at 09:47 AM

I live in St. Louis and in the past year or two we've had several Union Strikes. I'm curious what people think about unions. I had to be in a union when I worked at a grocery store. I actually lost money because of my dues and low amount of hours that I worked.

Whenever I didn't like my job, I've gone and gotten another one. I just don't get striking. What does the Throp Community think?

By the way, I am not talking shit on union workers either. I'm just looking for perspective.

gavin - 4-29-2005 at 09:51 AM

i support unions
the end

Jeff trhe Greek - 4-29-2005 at 09:57 AM

Never been in one, never will. Unions have become what they were created to protect the workers from. Fuck unionism. My wifes union rips her off and doesn't do shit for them.

BDx13 - 4-29-2005 at 10:27 AM

i've never been a part of one. i've heard passionate agruments going both ways, but honestly, i feel like i'm missing something about the whole deal.

GabeTexasGAMC - 4-29-2005 at 10:53 AM

Unicorns are ok.

I think they could really hurt someone with that horn though.

DAK - 4-29-2005 at 11:44 AM

Loco^

GabeTexasGAMC - 4-29-2005 at 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DAK
Loco^

You are just barely figuring this out sir?
Dude i live life in a delerious state.
I dont sleep well, and i drink way too much some days.

Discipline - 4-29-2005 at 12:19 PM

Unions had a time and a place. That time is gone. They do more to hurt workers then protect them these days and they destroy companies. They are also the reason that many jobs are being outsourced to other countries because the unions demand too much money for their workers. There are people working assembly lines for the car companies that complain non-stop about money and benefits and shit, and a lot of these guys are making $30+ an hour. Fuck that shit.

newbreedbrian - 4-29-2005 at 01:18 PM

they've definately been of great benefit since their inception. the life of the average worker has improved greatly largely due to their existence. they've definately gotten way too greedy and gone too far in my opinion. it's funny, my grandfather was a union organizer on the newfoundland railroad and was a staunch supporter of them till he died. even he said they had gotten ridiculous. there are so many people being paid a ridiculous amount of money to do next to nothing it's sad. i'd like to ship people complaining about making $25 an hour working at a computer under completely safe conditions back to a mine 100 yrs ago. they could actually see what people who were hard done by looked like

Jason the Magnificent - 4-29-2005 at 01:31 PM

unions like bagboys and computer workers are not the same as construction/trade unions. go tell an iron worker, tinner, plumber or fitter he gets paid too much to stand around and do nothing.

I'm a third generation Chicago sheet metal worker and while not all unions are on the up and up, if you think making $30 an hour is too much when the employer charges a contractor $75-100 and hour for our labor, you're a moron.

clevohardcore - 4-29-2005 at 04:09 PM

Unions are great for you and the ones working for them. Yes some are carried away like baggers at a grocery store and etc, but THEY DO protect everyone who works for them. I have a fucked up story to tell of my old employer that threatened us about unions and htey would have protected us from those lying theiving employers that fucked us over.

UNIONS are a nessesary evil. Sorry but they fight most of the time for you and me.

vinnie518 - 4-29-2005 at 04:20 PM

Bad for most things ..especially education.

Good for police and law enforcement.

I'm basically anti-union... however I must get used to the idea the closer I get to becoming part of the state police..... physical fitness test in June... I gotta keep busting my ass to make sure I make it.

clevohardcore - 4-29-2005 at 05:44 PM

Good luck Vinnie

newbreedbrian - 4-30-2005 at 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jason the Magnificent
unions like bagboys and computer workers are not the same as construction/trade unions. go tell an iron worker, tinner, plumber or fitter he gets paid too much to stand around and do nothing.

I'm a third generation Chicago sheet metal worker and while not all unions are on the up and up, if you think making $30 an hour is too much when the employer charges a contractor $75-100 and hour for our labor, you're a moron.

so much for respectful debate. if you're gonna insult me, you could at least read what i said you braindead fuckwit. i never even remotely implied that every unionized worker stands around doing nothing. i was simply making a point that union policies have created alot of redundancy. alot of jobs that used to be done by one person are now done by 2 or 3. dont believe me? have a look at road construction crews, have a look down at the docks. and yea there are people getting payed more than others doing the same job because they're unionized. for example, a person working at tim hortons (large coffee chain) can expect around 7 bucks an hour. in the tim hortons in the hospital (unionized of course) the same worker makes double that. alot of dough to schlep coffee don't ya think? a friend works at an old folks home here, same deal with dishwashers there. double any other place, which drives the cost of care up for the old people. and yea i would definately call $30/hour a livable wage, which is great and further illustrates my point that life has gotten better for working people because of unions. as far as expecting my employer to pay me the same as he makes im definately not holding my breath. im hardly anti unions anyway, i would have thought that was obvious from my previous post. im simply suggesting that its not a simple as unions are good/unions are bad. im saying that people were alot harder done by a hundred years ago and were really struggling to earn a livable wage and some safety on the job. i was also trying to make a point about why trade unions are much more necessary than a unionized software company but i supposed i should have made that clearer. unfortunately corruption at the top levels of trade unions has really hampered their effectiveness in really representing the interest of the workers. funny how linear thinking people can't see that things are not always black and white huh?

GOLD GRILL - 4-30-2005 at 01:35 AM

Well, I'm not unionized and it sucks. On several jobs, including the job I just got back from in Australia, my riggers (laborers) made more money than I did, had little or no skills (power tool operation, welding, etc.), performed less actual labor than me, and got paid TWICE as much. I'm not rounding up, literally twice as much as me. They have a great union in Australia, it works great for Australian workers. However, it also affects their productivity and their work ethic. Those guys know the union backs them so they take fuckin 20 minutes to shit, then have a smoke break, then shoot the shit with their "mates", and then, if there's time left, they may do some work. And I, as their supervisor can't really do much about it.
On the flipside, I've worked with Malaysians and Thais that bust their asses, know more about my job than I do, won't go piss unless I make them, and smile the whole time while making 50 bux a day. Its fucked, but its the way it is. I guess that I fall somewhere in the middle. All I know is that I'd trade for union hands for one Malaysian any fuckin day of the week. BUST

GOLD GRILL - 4-30-2005 at 01:37 AM

four* union hands

Jason the Magnificent - 4-30-2005 at 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by newbreedbrian

Quote:

so much for respectful debate. if you're gonna insult me, you could at least read what i said you braindead fuckwit.

this wasnt even directed at you specifically. there were multiple references to what I brought up, but please, get excited about nothing.

i never even remotely implied that every unionized worker stands around doing nothing. i was simply making a point that union policies have created alot of redundancy. alot of jobs that used to be done by one person are now done by 2 or 3. dont believe me? have a look at road construction crews, have a look down at the docks. and yea there are people getting payed more than others doing the same job because they're unionized. for example, a person working at tim hortons (large coffee chain) can expect around 7 bucks an hour. in the tim hortons in the hospital (unionized of course) the same worker makes double that. alot of dough to schlep coffee don't ya think? a friend works at an old folks home here, same deal with dishwashers there. double any other place, which drives the cost of care up for the old people. and yea i would definately call $30/hour a livable wage, which is great and further illustrates my point that life has gotten better for working people because of unions. as far as expecting my employer to pay me the same as he makes im definately not holding my breath. im hardly anti unions anyway, i would have thought that was obvious from my previous post. im simply suggesting that its not a simple as unions are good/unions are bad. im saying that people were alot harder done by a hundred years ago and were really struggling to earn a livable wage and some safety on the job. i was also trying to make a point about why trade unions are much more necessary than a unionized software company but i supposed i should have made that clearer. unfortunately corruption at the top levels of trade unions has really hampered their effectiveness in really representing the interest of the workers. funny how linear thinking people can't see that things are not always black and white huh?

i never said things were black and white and im not getting in some retarded messageboard argument. 90% of unions are corrucpt garbage organizations, its not worth typing up ten paragraphs over.

JawnDiablo - 4-30-2005 at 11:41 AM

when unions started they were for a good thing like protecting the workers, making sure they had better working conditions and job stability...
however i have seen some negative points over the years like when they keep people in jobs when they should be fired.
i would love to have a job making 30 something an hour
a few years ago here in philly i was at the Philadelphia Convention Center picking up my companys display and merchandise when me and some other workers and I were surrounded by hammer weilding teamsters from the carpenter union or something, basically we may have gotten our heads kicked in but my employer slipped the head good some cash to leave us alone. Mind you all we were doing was putting some shit in a truck and leaving. Whateer. From what I founf out these goons were making $52 an hour to stand around half of the time and they werent even allowed to pick up their scrap wood. That was for another union dude to do. i wholeheartedly support unions who better the lives of their workers, help them live a higher standard of existence, and not get exploited, but when I see people and behavior like that shit, i frown on the subject.
You can argue any point of view, theres positives and negatives to every subject thats just life

Killthehumans - 5-1-2005 at 07:33 PM

i think many unions today are not very ture to the original unions, however some are. Even if i dont agree with all unions i was taught never to break a picket line, so i guess im for them over all.

Killthehumans - 5-1-2005 at 07:35 PM

and a little story, a friends mother was a teacher and slways complained about having to be in the union saying she didnt need them and unions stifled people who wanted to work....until she got fired for no reason and the union was the only one willing to help.

OOOOHHHHHHHH....

BDx13 - 5-2-2005 at 01:10 PM

and here i thought unions were just what you called those guys who stand around with the giant inflatable rats at construction sites!