Joe The Plumber Joins A Union (UAW)

Good luck with that; bargaining alone is more then likely futile and in fact, you can be fired for walking into to your bosses office alone and requesting a raise/contract. There is strength in numbers and that's a proven fact. In most cases unionized workers always have better working conditions/benefits/pay. That being said, I do agree that people have a right to negotiate their own contracts.

 

Do you now? Union scum a dying breed... good with FEW exceptions! (law enforcement)

 

I guess your opposed to people having rights in the workplace. You must be a business owner who never worked union. Too bad for you.

 

You like ALL of us have the right to work, quit OR start your own business and pay whatever you like above min wage. Parasite thug union garbage has been declining for decades, the jig is up! Are goons too stupid to read a simple bar graph?
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Sorry If the topic got under your skin; no need to trash people you don't really know. How about conducting yourself in a rational, dignified manner if you want to debate?

 

Sorry but parasitic liars is something I have no use for. I detest thieves, don't you?

 

Honestly I have little tolerance for those who label people based on the actions of a few.

 

Here are your union rights:

About 6 weeks ago I had a morning meeting with my crew and I bought them all breakfast burritos and Gatorade. There were two techs who were on vacation at the time and when they came back they requested through the shop steward to have individual meetings with me. So I sat with each of them one at a time with the steward present both times and what they wanted was the burritos and Gatorade the other techs got but they didn't. All together this sucked up about 4 man hours that had to be made up on overtime that day. Needless to say I wanted to laugh them out of my office, but I was more tactful on my pound sand delivery.

About a week ago the local's president presented me with a grievance insisting these two techs weren't receiving equal treatment by not getting their burritos. When grievances are heard they're presented by the local's president and vice president, both technicians themselves (but not mine) and in the meeting will be me, my boss and our labor relations director. Experience says these meetings take 3 or more hours, so that's two technicians not doing their work for a combined 6 man hours plus the time management will waste on this.

Now it's easy to say just go out and buy the burritos and be done with it, but the contract we have covers HUGE amount of people throughout 3 states and dozens of offices. A simple capitulation like this could spill over into unforeseen things so even something this small has to be well thought out. In fact, because of the potential ramifications of losing this simple little thing and what it could lead to, my company has already said it's prepared to go to arbitration if the union wants to push it that far.

Because of this particular instance, the purchasing of food and drink is now prohibited at all company meetings involving union members and we expect them to complain about that next.

 

Good, ask the Greeks how great union goons are.

 

I work in a place where about half of the employees are union and the other half are not. I'm one of the non-union employees and I negotiate my own contracts.I see some of the best workers (union) we have who are payed less than some of our laziest workers because they were hired a week or month later. I myself, make more than than my manager and the director above him because I continuously try to improve my skills and I regularly ask for increases based on my value to them; and they give it because they need my skills. Hell, I even offer to train my co-workers to give them an idea of what I do so they can learn more but in 9 years, I've had nobody take me up on it.

I'm against unions based on my personal experience but I know they were once a necessary part of our workforce, but I think they've forgotten that they are there to represent the workers and not just a political party with the dues they collect.

P.S. The union boss in our shop made about 80K per year but was driving a 140K AMG Mercedes.

 

LOL ........... like the residents of Detroit over the last 5 decades !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Good; why are you feeding burritos to your workers in the first place. Very unhealthy if you ask me. If your company really cared about their employees they'd encourage you and set the example by giving them healthy food to eat instead.

Three hours to settle a grievance meeting??? In my local a typical grievance meeting on a topic like that would last no more then 15 minutes! Btw I believe that prohibiting food at all company meetings due to employment status (union vs. non-union) would be a violation of the NLRA. If I was the union rep I'd file a charge with the NLRB the first time your company did that. I think it would make a good test case. Better for the company to drop their silliness, if they offer food, offer it to all present, tho' I'd recommend a healthy diet for all of your employees. If the company truly cares about their welfare, they'll give them good quality, healthy food.

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I don't give much thought to what happens outside the United States.

 

Does the value of the car really matter to you? Maybe his brother gave him the car for his birthday? Maybe he inherited a large sum of money?? It does happen you know.

 

Isn't that exactly what is happening here, though? Or are you bemoaning that fact?

You might, but don't feel sorry for Joe, Union wages for Plumbers are rather good, whether they are compelled to get them or not.

 

I support a Living Minimum Wage of $15.00(it was Nixon's proposal, but no one will ever give Nixon the credit he deserves) and I've made several mechanisms to make it feasible. The first and foremost mechanism is that it will come primarily out of a State Trust Fund, rather than from corporations. That means the Fund will be primarily fueled by taxation and self-sustenance. Hence, it won't ruin any market equilibriums.

 

The fathers of democracy being destroyed by unions and the goons are too ignorant to stop thinking about their own pathetic paycheck and smell the coffee.

 

You apparently do not know much about healthy food. A decent burrito is enormously healthy. Very low carb. Very high in protein, and other quality nutrients. If the tortilla is more of corn, than wheat, it is that much more healthy. Lettuce, cheese, and meat is very high on the healthy meter. What is lousy, with fast foods such as McD's, is the bun on the burger, the fries. and the soda pop. Such as Taco Bell is far better fast food than burger joints, especially if one drinks water.

Clueless.

 

It's what they always ask for. Yes, they love the joint I get them from.

You weren't.

You really expect management to set the example for union workers who are highly anti management? My job is to make them do theirs, that's it.

Yes, 3 hours, at least. The union will bring in examples from other offices and the other 34 states my company works in. They'll also bring in past practices that occurred years before I got here. Earlier I posted that I found union material telling their members to slow down and tie up our time. They're good at it.

No one is prohibiting food, people can bring their own apples and oranges. It's just that the company won't be going out and buying ANYONE food, this way no claims of favoritism or unfair treatment can be made.

For less than $10 worth of food these 2 union morons are ruining it for everyone.

 

How in the world would you know what jobs are available or what he is qualified for? I seriously doubt you know much about him (if anything at all) or his needs in way of a job. I also doubt you know what jobs are available to him.

 

They aren't.

 

Really? He was forced into the union job. At gunpoint?

 

Ok whatever you say.

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LOL nice try but no sell.

 

Who was forced to take a union job? Name please. Oh, Joe the plumber. How?

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Yep, Joe the plumber could do that also, so he wasn't forced to take a union job as the OP suggests.

 

It's what THEY DO! 2 words............. Eastern Airlines!

 

I have to agree, no shop should be closed shop. But, workers that don't join will get the same or near same benefits/wages as those that do join. So it's a tough call.