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Do unions help or hurt workers today?

  • password
    With all the anti union laws being approved by the politicians, Do you think that it is a bad time to be part of a union. I seen on the news the other day that even workers are starting to get disgusted with their own unions, they show a video of a union steelworker burning a proposed contract at a union meeting where the international was giving a speech to try and convince their workers to approve the contract.

    Is it worth paying union dues in todays economic times or are you better off keeping your money and using it for your necessities?

    http://www.wtov9.com/news/27584544/detail.html
  • dwccrew
    As someone who has been a part of more than one union in the past, I say unions hurt more than they help. Laws are now in place to protect workers. Unions don't provide the protection they claim they do. They only protect bad workers. So if you are a bad worker, then you would be in favor of the union. This is my opinion and experience with multiple unions, can't speak for all of them.
  • I Wear Pants
    Depends on the union/industry/area/etc.

    So... maybe. :)
  • GoChiefs
    The do both in my opinion.
  • derek bomar
    poli forum?
  • Heelz
    dwccrew;745666 wrote:As someone who has been a part of more than one union in the past, I say unions hurt more than they help. Laws are now in place to protect workers. Unions don't provide the protection they claim they do. They only protect bad workers. So if you are a bad worker, then you would be in favor of the union. This is my opinion and experience with multiple unions, can't speak for all of them.

    This. When I worked construction we did not have a union shop and if you wanted a raise or to keep your job you showed up everyday and worked your ass off. We did some pretty big projects and alot of the other companies were unions and they were some of the laziest mofo's I had ever seen.
    Maybe when 12 yr olds were working 12 hr days in horrible conditions for $2 a day they were needed but not today.
  • iclfan2
    I think it obviously helps the workers because they can work less, and less well, yet still be paid the same. It hurts the Company's that MUST hire union members (gov. contracts) and it hurts the good workers who should be paid more and don't need to waste their hard earned cash on union dues. I worked roofing in Y-town for 2 summers, and the laziness and lack of effort was absurd. It was a private Company but since they roofed things like schools and the Covelli center, they were forced to use a certain amount of union workers. It provides an atmosphere where you don't need to try hard to get a raise, keep your job, etc.
  • CenterBHSFan
    I think that this is an area that is as close to being a 50/50 situation as you can possibly get. Some industries are more lopsided, but overall I think they can hurt you as much as they can help you.
  • Belly35
    If you want to work less, not as hard, give a organization part of your pay check, give up your freedom to choice, kiss as, have little voice, gather wood and 50 gallon drums for someone else to get a job as the Union management keep warm and collect your money for their salaries…. Unions are great

    If you want to work hard, use your skills to improve your advancement and with dedication and learning be somebody you're proud to be.... Unions are hurting ..you, America and the business that employs more that just you..
  • coyotes22
    Belly35;745744 wrote:If you want to work less, not as hard, give a organization part of your pay check, give up your freedom to choice, kiss as, have little voice, gather wood and 50 gallon drums for someone else to get a job as the Union management keep warm and collect your money for their salaries…. Unions are great

    If you want to work hard, use your skills to improve your advancement and with dedication and learning be somebody you're proud to be.... Unions are hurting ..you, America and the business that employs more that just you..
    This,,,, ALL THIS!!

    /thread
  • Tiernan
    Started by Communists in the 20s, Unions once had a place in America. That America is long gone along with the jobs Unions played a huge part in eliminating. Ask employees at Honda - OH or Toyota - KY who once worked UAW jobs elsewhere...they will tell you how much better their current lives are w/o Union interference. Teachers and Public Service employees need to wake up.
  • Writerbuckeye
    Tiernan;745757 wrote:Started by Communists in the 20s, Unions once had a place in America. That America is long gone along with the jobs Unions played a huge part in eliminating. Ask employees at Honda - OH or Toyota - KY who once worked UAW jobs elsewhere...they will tell you how much better their current lives are w/o Union interference. Teachers and Public Service employees need to wake up.

    They also need to calm down and give change a chance to work.
  • Thread Bomber
    The only things worse than being a union worker today

    1. Dem/Liberal

    2. Muslim
  • password
    They seem desperate for membership dues as you are seeing them trying to organize workers at companies that have no problems and treat their workers good. You see unions that represent industries such as Steelworkers, Teamsters, Construction workers trying to convince workers in non related fields such as nursing home workers and other low paying fields to join their union and pay dues with the promise of better working conditions and job security. The only ones getting better job security is the union officials while the workers are made to pay dues for representation that was never needed. I can't understand how people can pay dues and then have a union decide who they are going to endorse come election time and just donate everyones union dues to that politician with out the input of their workers. We have a couple of union workers that come into our businesses and they seem to always be complaining about their unions with all the favoritism that goes on toward some workers even at the expense of other union members, then they complain that their unions are basically in bed with the companies, so why have a union.
  • Belly35
    Thread Bomber;745835 wrote:The only things worse than being a union worker today

    1. Dem/Liberal

    2. Muslim

    3. Obama


    Correction
  • queencitybuckeye
    In my (fortunately) limited experience, the unions I've dealt with appeared to have one goal, enriching the union to the maximum degree possible. Any effect on the membership, positive or negative, appeared to be coincidental.
  • Bigdogg
    Well do not want to disappoint anyone so I will cast my vote as helping. Remember there are all kinds of unions not just the major ones you are all hear about. Just like everything else in life there are good ones, and bad ones. If you belong to a bad one de-certify and find a better one. I will say if you treat your employees fairly like Honda as a good example, then you don't need a union. I support a worker's right to choose for themselves. That's a concept that only gets lip services by the wight wing nuts and Tea baggers that regularly post on here.
  • Belly35
    UNION label puts Entitlements on the table

  • Thread Bomber
    Belly35;745856 wrote:Correction
    My appologies... I thought the POTUS was a given. :)
  • Writerbuckeye
    Bigdogg;745876 wrote:Well do not want to disappoint anyone so I will cast my vote as helping. Remember there are all kinds of unions not just the major ones you are all hear about. Just like everything else in life there are good ones, and bad ones. If you belong to a bad one de-certify and find a better one. I will say if you treat your employees fairly like Honda as a good example, then you don't need a union. I support a worker right to choose for themselves. That a concept that only gets lip services by the wight wing nuts and Tea baggers that regularly post on here.

    What a bald faced lie.

    You nor any union backer would EVER agree to making it a law that any union member has the right to choose whether to join the union with no consequences, and nobody is forced to give a "fair share" payment if they don't want to.

    If unions weren't forced on you the way they are now, I'd have no problem with them. When I first joined the state workforce, I had NO CHOICE on whether I was going to give the union money or not. It was either join and pay or pay "fair share" and pay.

    Change that rule and give union members a real choice, and I still won't like unions, but I'd respect them a helluva lot more than I do now.
  • Glory Days
    Belly35;745744 wrote:If you want to work less, not as hard, give a organization part of your pay check, give up your freedom to choice, kiss as, have little voice, gather wood and 50 gallon drums for someone else to get a job as the Union management keep warm and collect your money for their salaries…. Unions are great

    If you want to work hard, use your skills to improve your advancement and with dedication and learning be somebody you're proud to be.... Unions are hurting ..you, America and the business that employs more that just you..
    i know plenty of lazy non union workers.
    Writerbuckeye;745817 wrote:They also need to calm down and give change a chance to work.

    Then let THEM make the change, not "you".
  • believer
    Glory Days;745983 wrote:i know plenty of lazy non union workers.
    And they don't last long in a non-union shop.
  • Glory Days
    believer;746143 wrote:And they don't last long in a non-union shop.

    unless its the "good ole boy" system. and not all lazy union workers last either.
  • Belly35
    Glory Days;746824 wrote:unless its the "good ole boy" system. and not all lazy union workers last either.
    Let’s put this in perspective:

    Good ole boy … get the fuck out … “you’re fired” .. end of situation

    Union …. Get the fuck out “you’re fired” … lawyers, law sues, (if minority naacp), legal documents up the ass, work stoppage, vandalism, investigations, hours of meetings, time wasted and delays and potentially years of court appointment hearings.
  • CenterBHSFan
    Since there wasn't a 3rd option for a little bit of both, I just voted for "hurt".