Who can join a Labor Union? (bad credit, felons, employment)
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I'm just wondering, why do people joins unions? Do they accept people that other companies will not hire? Do sanitation workers, teachers, MTA, construction workers etc. HAVE to join a labor union? Do unions hire ex-felons, people with bad credit, and whoever else other companies may not want ? I just want to know a little bit more about unions in NYC.
NY is not a Right to Work State. If a workplace is a union shop, all union-level employees must pay the union dues. (If you--I guess for ideological reasons---refuse to join the union it is called an "Agency Fee")
Many skilled union members (electricians, carpenters, etc) who are without jobs get job postings at the union hall but the Taft-Hartley Act (1947) makes it illegal for union membership to be a requirement for employment.
Many skilled union members (electricians, carpenters, etc) who are without jobs get job postings at the union hall but the Taft-Hartley Act (1947) makes it illegal for union membership to be a requirement for employment.
Thanks alot, I did not know about the Taft-Hartley Act. I'll do more research on that Act.
I work for MTA, most of whose workforce is unionized--the largest union representing MTA workers is Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100. As far as hiring goes, I can tell you that the union doesn't do the hiring, but MTA does background checks (past indiscretions aren't held against you, provided you list them to MTA. If you withhold such information and they find out about it, you're out of a job). Because it is a closed shop, anyone who gets hired automatically becomes a member of the union.
I work for MTA, most of whose workforce is unionized--the largest union representing MTA workers is Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100.
This is also very informative. Now, I see that there can actually be more than one union representing a particular occupation. I was under the impression that the MTA was one union or under one union.
Fred314X, thanks for the post. When you say "past discretions" does that include convicted felons? I'm specifically interested in the Northern California construction unions.
Fred314X, thanks for the post. When you say "past discretions" does that include convicted felons? I'm specifically interested in the Northern California construction unions.
When I was hired, it was explained to us that everyone should tell the truth about their past on the appropriate forms; the only people who'd be affected were the ones who lied. There were two people in my group who had been arrested in the past. One didn't think it was serious enough to mention--when MTA did its background check, he was fired. The other one is still employed here.
But, of course, I can only speak from my own experience. I have no idea how things might work with the outfit you're interested in.
This is also very informative. Now, I see that there can actually be more than one union representing a particular occupation. I was under the impression that the MTA was one union or under one union.
You can have many different unions representing different levels of staff in one organization. For example, I'm in one union, and the people below me are in another. We each have our own separate contracts that we go by.
And the unions don't do the actual hiring, that's done by the company or organization. If however the company later tries to fire you for some reason, then the union steps in and tries to prevent that.
As far as felonies, that's up to the employer if they want to hire you with a record or not. There can be some government regulations that come to play here also. In my industry (aviation) everyone where I work must go through a background check prior to starting work, and there are several things that will automatically disqualify you, but it's stuff like aircraft piracy or interfering with a flight crew and such, so I doubt most people have anything to worry about.
I used to be in a union in California, but it was in southern California and had nothing to do with construction, so I can't help you there.
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