Last time I worked with a laid off teamster was about 2 years ago. He was out of work for a week, went to the hall and was on a forklift making over $25 an hour the next day. Worked with the guy for some 14 months at a power plant (nothing lazy about him). Also if I'm not mistaken the teamsters are vested in 5 years, so if for some reason they do decide to make a change. If they took a withdrawl card they are still locked in to recieve something towards retirement. Now you can put your retirement funds in stocks and bonds, IRA's, and Company promises. But I'd much rather put mine with a union. Nothing's guarrenteed, I've got 11 years as a Teamster, and going on 9 as an Operating Engineer. That with whatever I might get from Social Security in another 8 years, and maybe I won't do too bad. But I'll tell you, I've got nothing to show for my non union years. Don't get me wrong, I don't let a union dictate to me. I don't agree with a lot of their politics. But my biggest gripe with the unions of today are their rank and file are mostly talk. I go by the contract at the time, and have no whims about standing up for my rights against a company that will agree and sign such contract, and then bitches about how it's dragging the company down. All the while there dumping all the company profits into company cars, condos, fancy offices, and bonuses into the millions.
