Unions

I'm a member of the society and college of radiographers which acts as our union. It not only provides legal and financial support, but also vast academic and professional resources for our mandatory continued professional development. So in all, it's pretty good and every radiographer I know is a member.

Regarding power, radiographers recently went on strike during the NHS strikes as per the ballot results.

Happy days

 

The Weekend: Brought to you by organized labor.

I grew up in a fairly blue-collar area. I learned from my upbringing that you never cross a picket line and you never support a company whose workers are striking. Union busting that began during the Reagan administration has resulted in declining Union membership and therefore wages that have been stagnate since the early 1980's. Not to mention as for us LGBT folks, the union protects you from wrongful termination based on things like sexual orientation. I'll always be a union supporter and I try to buy Union as much as possible.

 

I support it.

 

I have been a member of two unions in my life. Both were absolutely worthless. That doesn't mean all of them are, but these two were.

When I was a teenager, I worked for Meijer Thrifty Acres, we had a union United Food and Commercial Workers. During the year I worked there I was paid $3.45/hr, and min wage was $3.35/hr. Our store went from being open 7AM-11PM closed New Years Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, to not closing at all for the entire year. The only thing that union did for me was take 4 hours of pay each month from me.

Later I was a member of Communication Workers of America. In their infinite wisdom, they struck against a company that was already in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The union did not provide signs, or even put the strike on their website for 3 weeks into the strike. Our union steward was quoted in the paper, as saying "the company wants us to work 40 hours before getting overtime" duh, that is what everyone does, no sympathy from other blue collar workers there...

I do believe that unions were necessary when they were formed, but most of the things they were formed to do have actually become law since. It would take some real convincing to get me to support a union now.

 

I always belive in the right way a union can be a good effective group of people but a lot depends on who is representing you and how they are representing you.

 

Here you go:

 

I have been on both sides, and can see both sides. I'm currently a member of TPOAM. A few years ago, I was in AFSCME, We collectively voted to leave that union, because the regional leadership refused to do anything for us, but they kept taking our dues. We would have been better off with no union than that union. With TPOAM, we have smaller dues and get better services from the union than AFSCME ever even claimed to have.

Oh, and by the way, it was unions that introduced the concept of a 40h work week, overtime, and weekends off.

 

In addition to the 40 hour week, and overtime, they introduced many safety regulations. Many union jobs were very dangerous when they were formed. The railroads, and factory work especially. OSHA now regulates much of that. I am not saying they never had their place, I just said they have not done anything for me except take 4 hours pay, per month.

 

You know, I read at first 'Onions'... And then I realized, both have things in common : They have layers, and when you try to peel them off, they'll make you cry.

From what I've experienced, Unions can be useful at times, on a personal level and under certain circumstances.
They can (sometimes...) stop and help to prevent some crimes against worker's rights (blue-collar workers, of course).
They also tend to attract very bright people, and I've never had a boring time when I went to their meetings. Most of them fully support LGBT rights, and are really aware of the kind of society we are living in. To talk to Union's people is refreshing... As long as they don't start preaching on you. Even if they are right, I just can't stand people trying to convince me of anything. The more they try, the less I listen to them. I believe that if you really have a good idea, the idea itself should be good enough to be convincing when simply spoken out.

The problem is that some Unions end up being corrupt, as it usually happens when you've got together a bunch of people with the idea of having some sort of power or privileges (this can be a Union, a Church, political party, whatever...). Soon it will be a feast of hypocrites getting fatter on someone else's money, while giving beautiful speeches they don't believe in at all... And giving the dogs a few bones from time to time, while getting their whole lambs for dinner on the backyard... And never sharing the feast with anyone.

Also there is a real problem when folks think that Unions are going to save them. There is no salvation from what's coming, it's just too late for that. They won't stop it.

 

I support unions, though it is mildly annoying when public sector workers strike en masse.

 

I have never been in a union, although I am a supporter.

If you aren't extremely wealthy and you do t support unions, then you are really working against your self interest.

 

I am in both the Canadian Union of Public Employees' and the Canadian Federation of Students.

Both protect my rights in their respective areas very well. At every meeting I go to they specifically list of many areas of discrimination that they find unacceptable, including sexuality and sexual orientation.

I think the reason why people get the feeling that trade unions don't do anything is cause they don't come out to general meetings, or get involved. At the end of the day the union is as good as the members. The whole notion of what can the union do for me is backwards thinking. Yes your money helps but I think almost every union right now is lacking in manpower. And at the end of the day if you don't like how your union leadership does things run for a position or show up to the meetings. Most major and credible ones are practically direct democracies. All you need to do is show up.

---------- Post added 22nd Feb 2015 at 12:51 PM ----------

I should also point out most union executives don't get rich off of helping out. They put in a lot of hours helping others and don't get much in monetary return. And they are usually just regular people and in no way better than the people they represent.

CUPE National President: Formerly a Gardener

My local President : Formerly a Zamboni Driver
My VP : Currently a Zamboni driver
Treasurer: Currently a Librarian
Secretary: Currently A Custodian
Warden: Currently a solid waste worker

 

I actually have a student membership to a union, although that should be revoked since I'm no longer studying...

 

Supporter

 

I'm a supporter of unions, and a supporter of collective bargaining. I think every possible measure should be taken before a union goes on strike, but I will support the union's right to do so.

I live in a part of Missouri where there were a bunch of brick plants back in the day, and there are still a few left, and unions were a big part of the everyday life around here. I also hate whenever state representatives introduce so called "right to work" legislation, especially when a majority of Missourians oppose it.

 

Of course I support them.

 

BrayanM, so you oppose the worker's choice as to weather or not he wants to join a union? That is what "Right to Work" is, it eliminates "Join the union or you are fired" shops, allowing the worker to choose weather or not to join.

 

The only people in unions who make real $ are the union officials. I've never heard a union man talk about saving $ for the company, promoting efficiency and productivity, only how the company is screwing the workers, blah, blah, blah. Unions are, by nature, socialist organizations who protect the lowest common denominator among their ranks where every warm body earns the union wage regardless of ability, ambition and intelligence. Like the Soviet Union, not much incentive to better yourself. Never belonged to a union, never will.

 

What RTW really does is creates freeloaders who are bound by the same contracts as the union members are with the same benefits. I personally think that if you really want out of a union, then you should be working part time, for minimum wage, and with no benefits, and only those that paid their dues to the union that bargained and negotiated for that $22/hour pay rate, 40 hours a Week plus health insurance and two weeks of paid vacation get to enjoy those perks. If you don't join the union, then it's only fair that you get treated like a non-union member.