Unions...

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-08 02:16am

I Colin Witz am a member of:

SEIU (ALF-CIO): and with my 100% serv safe, my hotels and Management training can get employeed easily at any union controlled hotel or bar (there aren't many, but the porno bars in LA, Vegas, and San Francisco are mostly union

Associated Press: They take a cut of your wages when ever you earn them, it's hard to collect dues when your consituancy is unemployed 90% of the time.
SEG: (I used to do bit parts when 'I was in college, strange hte actors and extra;s guild are life membership, and you only pay dues when you eork.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-08 02:22am

Now while I have seen good and bad in unions, one of the wierd advantages to union shops is training.

I actually recieve paid training in how to do my job better, and safer thanks to my Union and their relationship with management. Another point is that in the enviornment of interest based union negotiations, were learning how to save our managers money, thus help us keep our expensive wages....

Like the fact that union volunteers reearched the medical offers, andd put pressure on the HMO that has a monopoly up here, resulting in a 7% drop in the costs of medical insurance

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-08 02:28am

Training is a matter that varies depending on individual managers, not the presence of unions. Ontario Hydro's safety record changed dramatically when a new person was brought in to head the department. There was a union before, and a union after. It was not the deciding factor.

Unions can demand training, but only managers can ensure that the training is any good.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-04-08 02:43am

As long as we're disclosing our affiliations, I'll join in.

I'm a member of UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees) Local 399 in Evansville, Indiana.

I used to be a shop steward.
I also was on the negotiating committee last contract, and I did a month of volunteer organizing in Hampstead, Maryland last year.

My experience has taught me that a local is only as good as the members. If your membership isn't behind the union, you could have John L. Lewis negotiate your contract and fight your grievances, and you're still screwed.

If the shop floor is behind you, you can win. Otherwise, forget it.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-08 02:46am

I do like the new Interest Based negotiations training feild reps like myself recieve. the slash and burn petty bullshit just makes us look bad. but by explaining to the bosses that a safe and happy unit is supposed to be more productive, and by doing other things, it's working out better. Especially when they say "what, Your a union Rep and your saying this?" or Explaining to my co-workers that wasting time creates cost over runs, and then they will have less people doing the same job, kinda motivates them not create the drag effects...

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-08 02:50am

The worst part with Government inion is we can't strike, so we have other dirty tricks

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-04-08 03:01am

The Yosemite Bear wrote:The worst part with Government inion is we can't strike, so we have other dirty tricks

You mean 'work to rule'?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-08 03:10am

Canadian government unions can strike. That's why they piss me off, because they often take critical services down with them. We've lost substantial portions of school years because of teacher strikes, and we had a clerical workers' strike where they were on strike for quite a while without anyone noticing or caring, so they started BLOCKING STREETS in order to get attention. The fucking police wouldn't charge them; one union protecting another, I suppose.

Teacher unions in Canada routinely hold the kids hostage to their wage demands. It's sickening.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-04-08 07:38am

I don't know for the rest of Canada but in Quebec,when there's a strike some union worker does vandalism like damaging buses or using city vehicles and block circulation with them,and when "WE" protest against what they do,the union leaders always claim that none of them is responsible for the acts of destruction......yeah right you're all innocent of that.

theski · Post by **theski** » 2004-04-08 07:42am

DarthWong wrote

Unions can demand training, but only managers can ensure that the training is any good.

%100 correct....

dammm we agree on something....
Management makes or breaks training... If they don't believe in it or don't want to train themselves... then the process breaks down and no one believes...

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-08 11:49am

I also part of the Labour management safety committe, so unlike most shop stewards I really don't see them as the "Enemy", it's not been until recently that I have had to file complaints against certain managers, as for the most part I can get things done and get along.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-04-08 12:06pm

Darth Wong wrote:Canadian government unions can strike. That's why they piss me off, because they often take critical services down with them. We've lost substantial portions of school years because of teacher strikes, and we had a clerical workers' strike where they were on strike for quite a while without anyone noticing or caring, so they started BLOCKING STREETS in order to get attention. The fucking police wouldn't charge them; one union protecting another, I suppose.

Teacher unions in Canada routinely hold the kids hostage to their wage demands. It's sickening.

As a student, I wouldn't have minded some teachers to go striking

But our teachers can't strike, since they're civil servants (the un-fireable, life-long employed type)...