Labor Unions (Boise: health insurance, income, jobs)

[California Carl]

I was wondering how the various labor unions are fairing In Idaho. Would it be safe to say they do at least 20% of the work in the Treasure Valley? What about the rest of the State?
How do they handle being in a right to work State? The competition must be tough on the Union Shops up there. Our "market share" here in the Bay area is roughly 20% depending on the city you're in. Our wages are good and so are our benefits. A Journeyman Tradesman makes between $30-$50 an hour (depending on your trade) in San Francisco, but of course, the cost of living is very high so it just slips through our fingers.
I'd love to get out of here and finish my career up in Boise helping you guys building a bigger and better city. I am pro-union and believe in what we stand for. Good safe working conditions, a decent wage, health care and a pension so we can retire comfortably. I don't mean to imply that all non-union shops short change or abuse their employees, but many do.
I know most people are against growth, but believe me, it's going to happen weather you like it or not. Just be smart about it. Build bigger roads, more schools and parks but make developers pay for them. Make them pay for improvements to your infrastructure as well. Imagine the Boise area with twice as many people living there 20 years from now. Thats reality.
Thanks for any and all opinions or info.
TTFN California Carl

[proeye]

Originally Posted by California Carl

I am pro-union and believe in what we stand for. Good safe working conditions, a decent wage, health care and a pension so we can retire comfortably. I don't mean to imply that all non-union shops short change or abuse their employees, but many do.

See if you can talk to Wal-Mart when you get a chance...

[RodFarlee]

Info only, no opinions...
From the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.t05.htm

The percentage of employed Idaho workers who are members of unions fell from 5.8% in 2004 to 5.2% in 2005. This compared to 16.5% in California and 12.5% nationwide. All these numbers have declined steadily since the BLS began collecting this data in 1964.

Idaho ranks 42 out of the 50 states in percentage of union membership.

Most union members in Idaho are employed by government (teachers, postal workers, fire fighters, police, etc.).

[California Carl]

Thanks for the statistics. Union membership in CA is dwindling as well. Don't get me started on Wal-Mart.......

[proeye]

Originally Posted by California Carl

Thanks for the statistics. Union membership in CA is dwindling as well. Don't get me started on Wal-Mart.......

Actually, I would like your input about Wal-Mart...

[California Carl]

Wal-Mart does not treat their employees or vendors very well. They have been known to keep the employees weekly hours worked just below a level that would qualify them for some benefits like health care.Tax payers often end up paying for their employees medical needs.They have also been know to work them overtime, through breaks etc. with no compensation.
They are able to provide cheap products by setting a price they will pay for an item, lets say a type of shirt. They may offer $1.25 each and ask for a million units. This info is put out to potential suppliers until one of them agrees on the price. Most if not all vendors come from 3rd world counties that have little if any labor laws.
These workers often work in unsafe conditions, many of them are only children. Most of these countries don't come close to meeting our EPA standards and would be concidered gross polluters here.
So buy American made products when you can and avoid stores that engage in the exploitation of workers weather here or abroad.

[vintage]

The unions in Idaho are on life support. The best j.o.b. I had was in a Teamster shop. The right to work ploy gutted the unions as it was meant to do.

[California Carl]

has Idaho always been a right to work state? Why are so many people against Unions? I guess most of them don't know that they have unions to thank for their 40 hour work week, overtime pay and safe work conditions to just name a few.

[RodFarlee]

Originally Posted by California Carl

has Idaho always been a right to work state? Why are so many people against Unions? I guess most of them don't know that they have unions to thank for their 40 hour work week, overtime pay and safe work conditions to just name a few.

No, Idaho is a late adopter of the "Right to Work" or "Open Shop" law. Voters adopted it by referendum in 1986. It had been discussed for years, as our neighboring states (NV, UT, WY) had RTW since the 1950s. The momentum to pass it grew when Steelworkers headquarters overruled a vote by members of the local, leading to the closure of Bunker Hill mine and the loss of 1500 union jobs, and thousands of others.

Idaho's economy had been flat before RTW. In the years since, rates of job creation, income growth, and increased health insurance coverage in Idaho have been higher than in our neighboring states overall (and near twice as high as in our non-RTW neighbors OR, MT, WA). Perhaps RTW isn't why, it certainly didn't hurt.

[proeye]

Originally Posted by California Carl

Wal-Mart does not treat their employees or vendors very well. They have been known to keep the employees weekly hours worked just below a level that would qualify them for some benefits like health care.Tax payers often end up paying for their employees medical needs.They have also been know to work them overtime, through breaks etc. with no compensation.
They are able to provide cheap products by setting a price they will pay for an item, lets say a type of shirt. They may offer $1.25 each and ask for a million units. This info is put out to potential suppliers until one of them agrees on the price. Most if not all vendors come from 3rd world counties that have little if any labor laws.
These workers often work in unsafe conditions, many of them are only children. Most of these countries don't come close to meeting our EPA standards and would be concidered gross polluters here.
So buy American made products when you can and avoid stores that engage in the exploitation of workers weather here or abroad.

That's a lot of facts that I think most people are aware of. What do you think should be done about it? No one has ever been able to organize a union since they seem to have the ability to convince enough employees through threats and intimidation to not join. Personally, I think they should keep trying because it's about the only thing that will bring down the company.

And maybe that's why it hasn't worked since most people know this. But I would love to see Wal-Mart take a big dent in it's side since they have for too long been intimidators and it's not right.

I worked with them for a year and the way they do business is wrong. The unfortunate thing is that they have captured too much of a niche market (what I think--the lower to middle class) that they will continue to do what they are doing until someone knocks them off their perch.

The reason Wal-Mart works and how they are able to build so many stores in places that just defy explanation is because they are able to control their costs and make a profit where none seems possible. If their costs increase even a little, because of labor unions for example, they will take a step backward bigtime. I think they are operating on the fringe and just about anything major will cause them to slow down.

Hey, I hand it to them. It's the American way. But I would love it, and the American consumer would love it, if they had more competition. People think they are getting low prices. HAH! Baloney. If they had stiff competition not only would you see lower prices but also better products.

Tell me if I'm wrong...

So maybe Idaho is not the right state to encourage labor unions--especially at Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart is a kind of conservative enclave so it's probably not going to happen there...