Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Labor Unions?

Make that Labour Unions for our good Canadian friends.

You, or close relative ever belong to a union?

What do you think about the unions, past, and present?

At one time there was a need for unions. But in today's world they have evolved into the financial arm of the DNC.

Practically all of the myriad financial problems facing the great state of Penna. can be laid directly at the feet of the public sector unions.

They were good at one time.

Dad was a letter carrier for 30 years. The union did a good job of helping them as they transitioned from purely a government agency to what it is today. Now even dad admits they've gotten out of hand.
I worked in a union shop for 3 months. We basically ignored it and just did the job.

I was a member of a Teamster's union in Ohio many years ago when I worked in a bakery. The level of corruption was amazing. But then again, this was in Youngstown, where the mob ran everything worth running.

I was in the Teamsters for 15 years. This was back in the 70's and 80's when corruption was pretty bad. At that time, the members didn't have a vote on officers. In the 90's, the feds forced them to change that.
When I was in it, Idaho went right to work. However, anyone who quit was likely to be ostracized by other workers so I stayed in.
My company went under in about '89. I had in just over 15 years. At the time, it took 15 years to be fully vested in the union pension plan so I was protected. I've been drawing it since I retired 3 years ago. It's not a lot because I worked for 25 years in non-union jobs after that, but it sure helps.

There is probably no one who is against labor unions as I am. I believe they go to the extreme far more than they act sensible about things. However, I belonged to the rural mail carriers union. As far as unions go, I doubt it had much clout when compared to something like the auto workers union. It had it good points, as well as it's bad ones. But, I'll say this, if anyone thinks that all employers will treat their employees fairly, they have no clue as to what the Post Office is like. We had some supervisors and postmasters who would go out of their way to harass someone they didn't like, and we had some that sexually harassed employees. On the flip side, there were many employees that weren't worth a damn. So, was a union needed? When I first began as fulltime carrier, my postmaster claimed they were having trouble finding me a substitute, and I was working with no time off. My wife was a postmaster at another office, and thru her I found out that my boss was dragging her feet about hiring anyone. I made one phone call to the union, and got that problem solved. That was my one and only union experience, as I never attended any meetings, or took part in anything else union wise. They helped me when I needed help, and I did appreciate that.

Brother is a glazer. He gets the benefits and wages; also HAD to go through apprenticeship, has to keep certified on welding, safety, first aid. Those commercial windows and doors are heavy and will kill if they fall. He has had oldtimers try using wood shims, cut corners, and do things that are dangerous with new heavier glass. Now he is the old guy, and the new guys sometimes are just as bad.

He put the windows in DIA tower twice, they are installed from the outside leaning out. First set was put in, then the contractor sent in the welders to finish.

I see good and bad, the main problem that still allows unions to exist is si.oly laws don't go far enough to.protect workers fair treatment.

Overtime pay needs to be increased if it's that important that you need to work overtime you deserve to be paid exceptionally well for it.

Mandatory overtime laws need to be nixed.

I am a retired member of SheetMetal Local #7. This is a building trade union. No seniority. Good pay, good benefits. If you work good you will make a good living. If not you will sit on the bench alot. Even though I like unions, I do not think any government jobs should have unions.

10 yrs undergound coal with UMWA.........

27 yrs with UPS & Teamsters.........

Happily retired now.........

Thank you sir!!! I'm a retired Laborer(due to disabling back injury) ,but i come from a family of miners including my dad both grandpas and a great grandpa who were all UMWA.......I would be screwed if not for my disability pension!!! I see some areas that need attention concerning some unions but overall i think your a fool if you think big money gives two sh*ts about you....

I belonged to a union for most of my 35 years with the USPS. When I was told my seniority didn't protect my job by the union I got out. Area reps. for the union changed and then I was assured it did protect my job so I got back in. I saw good and bad with the union. The federal government managers and supervisors have no accountability and no repercussions for cheating an employee. File an unfair labor charge with the labor board and it sides with the government. The jackazz over finance was doing "something" with travel pay checks and then we would get a letter of demand from the finance center in Egan, MN because we had to take a cash advance for out of town schools and our travel pay check was cashed while were in training out of state. The local finance guy would say "I'll take care of it" and the next month we got another letter of demand. I filed a grievance on it and part of the settlement was have the Inspection Service audit travel pay. The next day the problem was fixed. The local finance guy was breaking federal law with impunity.
I do not support union closed shop but I do support prevailing wage laws.

In my experience it seems the amount of serious concerted effort, support and attention each individual local labor union receives in representation from the international union big wigs is directly proportional to number of dues paying members of a given local.

The huge locals with thousands and tens of thousands of dues paying members are the international union's primary concern and focus. The small locals pretty much serve as worker ants in that their dues are needed to help feed the international union's coffers so they can continue to focus on keeping the union big wigs themselves and members of huge locals fat and happy.

I will add though that I don't know of any company in my area where the work force voted for labor union representation that that company couldn't have avoided it with just some simple, honest, fair dealing, respect and treatment of their employees.

As always, YMMV...

Joken your last statement is absolutely dead nuts right

My ex-FIL was a staunch union supporter for years..The Feds arrested their union rep for embezzling 500K. Guy got a 5 year vacation in the pen and the day after he was released from jail they re-elected him as a rep! I asked him why in hell would you elect him again and he said that he was a good negotiator and got them good raises! Never mind that he stole them blind and the pension fund was broke..

I have been in the Ironworker's , Teamsters and an Operating Engineers (Operating Engineers by far the worst of the three) and all three of them have been money grabbing power hungry A HOLES that only care about their own pockets and could not care less for their paying members.

Obsolete organizations unless you support organized crime syndicates.

I got a quick education in how the unions work about a year after I joined the Teamsters. They were negotiating a contract and called a strike. After a week of that, they came to a settlement but the union president didn't like it. We were called in to vote but he recommended that we reject it. A union business agent came to our little local to conduct the vote. He just stood up and said the president recommended that we reject it so were were going to vote against it. He wasn't even going to read it to us so we had no idea of what he expected us to vote against. We were being TOLD how to vote. Well, the guys here didn't go for that crap. Before it was over, he darn near got tarred and feathered. If he hadn't backed off, he likely wouldn't have got out the door in one piece. He was forced to read it and it was actually a pretty good contract. Our local voted FOR it by a large margin but we didn't have a fraction of the votes to override the no vote from even 1 of the big city locals.

My dad worked in a union warehouse from age twenty-five to age fifty-five when he decided to retire. He thought he would have a nice "nest egg". He went to the union to sign up for his pension. They told him the union pension fund was broke! Gone! He worked in another company for another thirty years. That probably tells you what I think of the unions. I bet they still didn't miss a donation to the Democrats.