The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
Today’s Question: What’s your opinion on Unions?
The Water Cooler – What’s Your Opinion On Unions?
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I was in a union for 15 years at a refinery. They were useless. Just another political group trying to take advantage of their members. I can’t speak for all unions but the union I was in was more about keeping the company happy than being there for its members. Unions are no bueno.
For fast food workers not worth it.
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For skilled craftspeople with experience a Union means an
excellent living wage where spouse stays home, full medical
benefits and retiree pay.
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Would highly recommend high school graduates consider
LMC (Los Medanos ETEC program, very highly recommend.
https://www.losmedanos.edu/EETEC/curic.aspx
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Not uncommon for students to get job offers near end of program.
Decades ago I believe unions did some good; however, now a days they just get in the way and have no purpose.
I love Onions
Depends on the industry and company. In one case – union leaders were too much “in cahoots” with management – so little if any, benefit to members. In another case, union was instrumental in keeping their pay and benefits somewhat respectable as the organization downsized significantly (few management positions were left in the state & benefits, pensions, etc. cut dramatically while union members had much fewer and smaller cuts).
It depends on which union, some are good and some are useless. I was in the machinists union, and when I retired they cheated me out of some of my pension. They knock off a
certain percentage if you don’t retire at a certain age, which I didn’t know about. It was
never mentioned in any of the material they sent me about their pension plan. After I retired,
I went back to school and got my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and joined up with
the nurse’s union. The nurse’s union offered job security, excellent wages, health benefits
and a nice pension plan.
After 10 years in the Auto Machinist union in the ’60s and 70s (we were the highest paid shop in the Bay area ($12.50hr)… (1980) I took my 2 BS Degrees off the back of my tool box, and got a management job in Fleet Management at PG&E for about the same money. Me and 9 other mgt guys got laid off in one of the “BIG Cut Backs” in 1994! … and they put me back in the shop where I made their union wage plus 15% with no benefits or increase of earned pension. I turned wrenches for PGE for 3 more years with a bunch of guys that used to work for me in different shops til I quit and started my super successful Diesel Smog Testing business. After 17 years I sold the business in 2017 after doing 20,000+tests. Union Pension only $285 & PGE Pension only $529. But I’m loving Retirement!
They are good when the stewards fight for and stand up for the members.
Not so good when they care more about promoting and less about what’s fair.
When the fire chief refuses a member to use their sick time and the union president just looks at the floor you know you are screwed.
Labor Unions may have outlived their usefulness for Middle Class…. oops… the Unions did not actually save the Middle Class, did they? Our country is polar in wages. Rich man, Poor man.
Top Union Leadership got very wealthy off of mandatory membership fees. Labor wages went up some…but nothing in comparison to what the Leaders did for themselves.
Very few workers actually make the wages commensurate to their skills… up or down. For example, a great, caring teacher makes the same wages as a professional child indoctrinator in the same district.
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Unions have long outlasted their usefulness.
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Now they, the union leaders, are just grifters who scam their members.
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Had their place.. coal miners, autoworkers and whatnot as people were pigeonholed into something they could not graduate out of but the world has changed now. The job market is different now, if you want to work “and I stress if you want to work” there is a job for you and if you are not satisfied then there is another that will pay more or have a better plan. Now it seems like organized crime “if the only only arm you have is extortion (strike) than that is organized crime”. wish it was different. was in it for 20 years and got put down for doing my best…..like mowing the grass, when you see that blade standing taller than the rest you have to cut it down…socialism
Many unions are corrupt. I was in the musician’s union until it started to fall behind the times. Even the symphony formed a separate union. They seem to be a place for power hungry people to take over and like you have read from comments above benefit themselves and not the membership.
Unions had their heyday back in the roaring 20’s and such when companies treated employees like dirt.
Now a days, the government has rules and regulations on how a company has to treat their
employees. Unions are now only good for making the Unions richer.
Unfortunately some of that may be true of some Unions I know that is not true of CSEA Mt Diablo Chapter43 we are all volunteers President VP,Secretary,Treasurer,Communication Officer we take our member jobs very serious and I believe our member know that They tell us how much they appreciate our help I worked 31 years and have been retired 15 I still enjoy the work. Some times you need to to know somebody still has your back when your need it.
True for them yes. Not true of MDEA; only in for the Teachers, screw the kids!
Annie, For years I’ve watched your dedication to your workers at MDUSD. I will not disagree with you on that. HOWEVER,Your MDUSD team of volunteers is only a grain of sand on the BIG UNION picture~~
“California School Employees Association (CSEA) is part of a larger union system. CSEA is the largest classified school employee union in the United States and is affiliated with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) AND the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations),
Therein lies the annoying grit.