Union crap

[Muses_nightmare]

I get that working for a union is supposed to be great and all that, but honestly, after working for the casino I don't think I'd ever want to work for a union again. I mean, while they do try their best, our contract sucks, and if you don't have a certain level of seniority you're screwed.

Not to mention it complicates things to no end. Like tonight for example, one of my coworkers found out that he needed tomorrow night off, and asked me if I could cover his shift, which was fine with me. In any other job I've had that would mean informing one of the higher-ups and then me showing up for his shift. But nope, at the casino we can't just give eachother shifts, it has to go down through seinority, you have to fill out paperwork, and a bunch of other stuff. Though I do understand they are covering their asses and following the procedures correctly, it's still a pain in the ass.

[Sableonblonde]

I have to join the union at the job I just started, and I've never been a part of a union before so I don't fully understand them. I also don't get why it has to be mandatory that you join. It does sound like a pain in the ass.

[smileyeagle1021]

Muses, you'd hate me... for shift trades we don't even need to tell a manager... as long as shift trades don't give either employee all I have to do for a shift trade is
1. talk to the person I want to trade with
2. make an agreement on which shifts we are working
3. show up for the shifts we have agreed to work

it helps that we're small enough that we seem more like one big disfunctional family rather than a hotel

[KhirasHY]

I have to join the union at the job I just started, and I've never been a part of a union before so I don't fully understand them. I also don't get why it has to be mandatory that you join. It does sound like a pain in the ass.

In some jobs, unions can be great (especially if the management has a few asshats that mistreat people), but by and large, I think the time of the great Union has passed. I'm a Democrat saying that, so I'm at odds with a few people

Most jobs that I've seen with unions, including my current hotel, the union did a lot of things that didn't help anyone except themselves. For instance, our Union kept someone from getting fired for the longest time...this person showed up late every day, called off 1-2 times a week, no-called 3 times, all within a 30-day period. He insulted his co-workers and managers, used profanity with guests, spat on the floors, and would leave the cafeteria a mess when he ate. It took sexual harassment to finally fire him in a way that the Union couldn't reinstate him with some grievance.

Here's another: our Union employees can't sign up for the same insurance that our non-Union departments can. They pay a lower premium...and get almost nothing for it. All they got was a lower premium, but they have almost no coverage for a major illness or injury. For $10 more a month, they'd have that and more, but they can't get our program, and they weren't given any choice.

Finally, for now, they don't have to pay dues...the people running the union are campaigning to change Colorado laws to make it so that, if we're union, people HAVE to pay dues and HAVE to join the Union to work here in one of the eligible departments. The law didn't pass on Election Day, so now there's going to be a vote about whether they have to pay dues (thankfully, the vote will still be by secret ballot for now). We suspect that, if they vote not to have to pay dues, they'll find they have little support from the union afterward.

That said, the union isn't really needed here...I may be biased as a manager, but we don't have asshats running this place, and people don't get treated poorly here. I can also say that I'm happy that my department doesn't have eligibility for the union (it's complicated ), and my people are actually pretty happy about that too. Better insurance is a good thing, but all the other stuff is a pain, I'm glad my people don't have to deal with it.

[Muses_nightmare]

it helps that we're small enough that we seem more like one big disfunctional family rather than a hotel

Totally what I miss about the gas station I worked at. While I like the people I work with at the casino, I don't really have conversations with them most of the time.

Most jobs that I've seen with unions, including my current hotel, the union did a lot of things that didn't help anyone except themselves. For instance, our Union kept someone from getting fired for the longest time

There are a few dealers, and other people who can get away with a lot because of this type of thing. Some of the dealers mouth off to managers and supes and such. One of the people in another department, ASKED for a tip, actually refused to give a patron what they ordered until they gave her a tip. BIG no no. I don't know what disceplinary action was taken (none of my business after all), but she's still working there, so obviously it wasn't more than a write up or a stern talking to, more than likely the latter.

I just feel, as someone at the bottom of the totem pole seniority wise I'm getting the short end of the stick. I mean, if I happen to have a shift that someone with higher seniority feels they deserve, or want, they have the right to it. So while my preference is days, if I get a day, and someone higher in seniority (as in the top 10 people) decides they want it, it's more than likely they will get it and I'll get stuck with a night shift. I've lost hours this way, not a lot mind you, but 15 min, half an hour adds up.

Not to mention my preference for shifts, which we just recently filled out paperwork for, is basically ignored. I have a preference for day shifts, but since higher seniority people want them, I get stuck on nights. And I specifically said that I do not want split days off, especailly if I'm working nights, I need two days in a row to recharge. They also seem to circumvent labour laws, or ignore them at times, nothing too bad, but on-call employees are required to be avaliable to work two days out of the weekend. I'm fine with being availiable to work, but I'm not fine with having to sit around waiting for them to call, and not being paid for that time. I have things to do. I don't know what would happen if I just said no to shifts on weekends, since I usually take them, so I can't say whether it's really that bad or not. But it bothers me, since I know that a lot of people purposely call in sick on weekends (like some other jobs I'm sure).

Our union gives me the general impression that it doesn't give a crap about lower seniority people. Which I think is why there's a high turnover. As soon as summer ends poof hours are gone, and people below a certain point in seniority are automatically on-call. Which was not what I signed up for at all.

[wagegoth]

Unfortunately, too many unions are run by people with egos just as big as the people running the companies. Power plays on both sides have screwed things up for the employees. Some unions just collect money and do nothing at all for their members. Again, the ones who suffer are the employees.

I think unions can be important, but not without the members having decent representation.

[Muses_nightmare]

I think unions can be important, but not without the members having decent representation.

Exactly, there are some excellent unions, my dad's and the one my boyfriend will be a part of (or is, I'm not sure if he is yet, he's not done school yet) are good examples of this. Mine, on the other hand, represents a small portion of the employees, and seems to get away with doing very little for lower seniority employees.

[Tanasi]

There's been more than a few local companies that have closed their doors due to unions. One plant manager told the employees (notice I didn't say workers) they had to increase their production otherwise the plant's existence would be in jepordy. Did they increase no they got worse and lost their jobs.
Prime example is look at what the UAW is doing to GM, Chrylser, and Ford. For their bail out I say no let them declare bankruptcy and get out from under those union contracts.
It's also been my experience that union management first duty is to themselves and if the membership gets alittle then it was by accident only.
My brother worked for a company in South Carolina that was very very anti-union and the company owner told the workers if they organized he'd close the doors. At one plant they didn't believe him and when they showed up the next day to work the gates were locked and the plant was closed for a few years. Granted the owner was fined by the government but he paid the fine and didn't give in to the union.
I guess in some instances unions are still in need in those instances I don't have a problem with them. I think the union membership needs to require union bosses have to actually work at a union job.

[AirHostess]

Our Union is fantastic

We wouldn't be without them, they are v strong.

I love that The Strawbs song Union Man.

Now I'm a union man
Amazed at what I am
I say what I think
That the company stinks
Yes I'm a union man.

When we meet in the local hall
I'll be voting with them all
With a hell of a shout
It's out brothers out
And the rise of the factory's fall.

Oh you don't get me I'm part of the union
You don't get me I'm part of the union
You don't get me I'm part of the union
Till the day I die, till the day I die.

As a union man I'm wise
To the lies of the company spies
And I don't get fooled
By the factory rules
'Cause I always read between the lines.

And I always get my way
If I strike for higher pay
When I show my card
To the Scotland Yard
This what I say.

Oh you don't get me I'm part of the union
You don't get me I'm part of the union
You don't get me I'm part of the union
Till the day I die, till the day I die.

Before the union did appear
My life was half as clear
Now I've got the power
To the working hour
And every other day of the year.

So though I'm a working man
I can ruin the government's plan
Though I'm not too hard
The sight of my card
Makes me some kind of superman.

Oh you don't get me I'm part of the union
You don't get me I'm part of the union
You don't get me I'm part of the union
Till the day I die, till the day I die.

[Broomjockey]

Just a friendly warning that we've had union threads go off the rails before, and I'd hate to see that happen here, as it's going along fairly well

[wagegoth]

The story I heard took place a while back, when robots were first being installed in automobile plants.

The current head of Ford, still one of the Fords, is showing the new installation to the local UAW representative. Ford brags, "They don't get sick, they don't call out, they don't go on strike, and they don't take vacations."

To which the UAW rep replied, "Yeah, and they don't buy cars either."

Prime example is look at what the UAW is doing to GM, Chrylser, and Ford. For their bail out I say no let them declare bankruptcy and get out from under those union contracts.

If only it were so simple. The people running these companies have made a lot of mistakes. The union wages and benefits are only a small part of the costs of doing business (they add approximately $2,000 to the cost of a car), most of their problems relate to focusing on short-term planning, an old boys network of management (which focuses on what they can take out of the company in salary, bonuses and perks, not on what they can do for the company) which hires, cross-hires and rehires the same losers over and over, and a complete lack of vision. Japanese auto companies have done well by not following the lead of the Big Three. Unfortunately, the Japanese companies that bought into American companies did not always make sure that there was enough Japanese oversight and tended to let the Americans run the American divisions.

[wolfie]

My brother worked for a company in South Carolina that was very very anti-union

South Carolina? No wonder - they were the birthplace of the Confederacy (first state to secede), and the last to be Reconstructed after the War of Northern Aggression.

[Primer]

My one and only (albeit vicarious) experience with a union: NALC--National Association of Letter Carriers--has been very positive.

I won't go into any details, but just like any other groups, some are good; some are bad, and some have great people, and some have gutter douches.

[Broomjockey]

they were the birthplace of the Confederacy (first state to secede), and the last to be Reconstructed after the War of Northern Aggression.

Right now, I fail to see what that has to do with the topic at hand, so I don't want anyone to take up this tangent, and we've had a few slides towards that line, people...

[Hyndis]

Unions are just like any organization. Some are awesome, some are full of suck and fail.