Fortunately, we don't have to work there. We are smart enough to live where the good jobs are and qualified enough to get them.
Northern American Construction Industry: Extensively unionized; highly skilled, in high demand, and more reliable than the less-unionized Southern American Construction Industry.
In other words, a person who sticks to their principles even when they aren't beneficial is completely alien and novel to you.
Not really. I have worked in a workplace with a strong union before, and was a member. I was even a strong supporter of strike action (although it never ended up occuring while I worked there). However I would have never supported preventing anyone who wanted to work from working.
Bull. fucking. shit. You're talking out your ass here. I built a store in Kansas, and due to a labor shortage in the area, I was forced to bring in union hands. My expectations were of a damn good job, turned quicker than the local yahoos for a reasonabally fair price. I was dead wrong. When I wasn't catching guys litterly jerking off in the bathroom, I was having to make them change shit they did because they couldn't understand what a fucking revision on the plans was. I was not impressed. Biggest bunch of fuck offs I have ever, and I mean ever had do anything for me. I had to supply EVERYTHING down to a fucking screw tip. They're steward was a lazy no doing sonofabitch. The more I think aboout that goddamn bunch the more I think unions can suck my hairy balls. They fucked off and fucked us royally, just like they'll put the biggest dick in you they can. I revise my stance after that reminder. Fuck 'em.
Chris you should get a job on the underground loads of strikes for you there. Can someone just set me straight on why they are striking as I'm not reading the whole thread. From what i have seen on tv it was over the bosses getting extra money and the workers taking a pay cut, was that it?
Tell you what: You hire yourself union labor to build a house. I'll load up the back of my pickup with Mexicans out in front of Home Depot. We'll see who gets a better building, built more quickly, and at a cheaper price.
All I have to say is, if people like Uncle Albert and Chaos Descending were the majority 60 years ago, we'd all still be working 70 hour weeks with no overtime in unsafe conditions and no weekends.
But it is not 60 years ago, and the points of contention have moved from "don't work us to death" to "perpetually guarantee us the jobs we want, for the pay and benefits we want, in the location we want, or we'll shut you down". Whether or not anyone agrees that they were needed in the past, shit like this suggests to me that they have outlived their legitimate usefulness and become a vehicle for extorting personal entitlements.
Oh, dear God, not the "unions gave us everything we have" bit. Yes, unions supported the 40 hour week and workplace safety. So did a lot of other people. Why? Because we were rich enough we didn't need to work that many hours anymore and we could afford to spend a little more on safety. It wasn't any gift of the unions. It's the same old propaganda: you won't get nothin' from the bosses unless you organize. Well, I ain't ever been in a union and I do pretty damned well on my own, thank you very much. The moment my employer tries to force me into 70 hours a week or unsafe conditions is the moment I'm out of here. Even if the owners really wanted these things (and, really, they don't), they're aware that few employees would go for it. We get the right result--mutual agreement on conditions--without a union.
It's really not much use arguing with the Michigan boys about unions. They've been taught union love since they were on their mothers' teats.
This is just plain stupid. The only workable "job security" is to be working in an economically viable job. In simple terms, that means one that is profitable to both employer and employee. What it amounts to is this: If you need "work guarantees" to protect your job, you are not in a viable job, period. And thus you don't have any real job security. And with this statement you have shown where you are at in terms of moral values: No matter what harm you might do to others who have done nothing wrong to you, "your own self-interest" is justification enough for your actions. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but I have no respect for those kind of people. They are called "thugs" in my book. "My own self-interest is justification enough" would sit will with Al Capone, but not with me.
Hey, I'm a Michigan boy! Grown up in a working-class family, too. And the only factory work I ever did was in a shop where we made parts for cars. There is only one American union for which I have less respect than the UAW, and that's the Teamsters.
That's not *EXACTLY* true. Japanese "labor unions" are strictly in-company collective bargaining organizations. National level organizations are organized as trade guilds and not unions. Also, strikes are rare due to lack of legal protection against firing strikers and replacing them. At this time, only 19% of the labor force in any given company is unionized.
Tell you what, check out who they hire to wire nuclear power plants. EVERY TIME. For your house you might not give a shit if its fucked up and not up to code. Some things are important though. (and are subject to inspection). You can do a shitty painthouse on your dogs house. You can't do a shitty paintjob on a jet fighter.
brothers in arms indeed couple of bits from the article: so chris, tell us all how terribly proud you are at being part of a strike thats helping to destroy jobs?
