Pittsburgh's influence on the oil refining industry (Washington: middle-class, 2013)

[RickyInDeerPark]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Not surprising, we don't have any oil refineries in the area, unless someone is holding shares in oil concerns, it is probably off the radar.

The USW headquarters here doesn't have a large staff, and I'm sure most of those folks are more concerned with paying the health claims of their members, collecting/investing dues money and lobbying politicians, the usual business of an international.

Not only lobbying politicians but working very hard and spending lots of union dues to get them elected.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdhpqMLribI

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The USW headquarters here doesn't have a large staff, and I'm sure most of those folks are more concerned with paying the health claims of their members, collecting/investing dues money and lobbying politicians, the usual business of an international.

I have a lot of acquaintances who work for the USW. Most of the people I know who work there are researchers, lawyers, communications folks, etc. Why would they have their lobbyists based here, rather than DC after all?

Not that I approve of everything they do. The USW is a well-meaning, but fairly ineffectual union. But they're not corrupt like the building trades or Teamsters, or complete screwups like the UFCW.

[Der Schwabe]

Originally Posted by RickyInDeerPark

Not only lobbying politicians but working very hard and spending lots of union dues to get them elected.

Great point Ricky, I bet corporations wouldn't spend money on that! Where are you getting all of these fantastic youtube videos!?

[jimmyev]

Pennsylvania doesn't have as many Hillbillies as Texas so you might have to go into a different city's forum to get support. I almost puked today seeing Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick cutting a cake in celebration of the 10th year of legalized discrimination by the State of Baptistan...oops, Texas...against same-sex couples.

[RickyInDeerPark]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

Pennsylvania doesn't have as many Hillbillies as Texas so you might have to go into a different city's forum to get support. I almost puked today seeing Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick cutting a cake in celebration of the 10th year of legalized discrimination by the State of Baptistan...oops, Texas...against same-sex couples.

That's funny jimmy, but Texas doesn't have Hillbillies, we have rednecks. Hillbillies are more likely to allow anything to marry anything for example sisters marrying brothers and fathers, men marrying sheep and the like. Rednecks on the other hand do prefer the man-woman union. The whole procreation thing ya know?

Perhaps you could work on your stereotypes?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I have a lot of acquaintances who work for the USW. Most of the people I know who work there are researchers, lawyers, communications folks, etc. Why would they have their lobbyists based here, rather than DC after all?

Not that I approve of everything they do. The USW is a well-meaning, but fairly ineffectual union. But they're not corrupt like the building trades or Teamsters, or complete screwups like the UFCW.

The UFCW has been pretty effective in keeping the State Store system and preventing liquor privatization.

Pretty major series of victories on their part, maybe they've "screwed up" in other areas, but they also have enjoyed success.

They also succeeded in keeping Giant Eagle stores under their umbrella, when most of the rest of the grocery business is non-union here, they signed another contract just last year I believe.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The UFCW has been pretty effective in keeping the State Store system and preventing liquor privatization.

Pretty major series of victories on their part, maybe they've "screwed up" in other areas, but they also have enjoyed success.

They also succeeded in keeping Giant Eagle stores under their umbrella, when most of the rest of the grocery business is non-union here, they signed another contract just last year I believe.

The state store system here in PA is represented by an independent union.

Back in the 1970s, grocery store clerks made roughly the same wage as autoworkers. The clerks union (one of the predecessors of the UFCW) rolled over to management demands for a two tier system with part timers earning less money and getting no benefits. The union contracts are generally speaking worthless to part-timers, with the exception of having a grievance procedure. Which means the one and only effect an average high school student sees for their dues money is seeing nitwits get their job back. I can think of no more damaging introduction to have to trade unionism.

[RickyInDeerPark]

Right to work states are the way to go. Those that want to pay the union dues can, those that don't, don't have to. Unfortunately even in right to work states the workers have to abide by union rules. You know it works because the unions and the Democrats have been trying to get rid of the right for states to have that option.

[I_Like_Spam]

Liquor store managers are represented by the independent union, the clerks are a different bargaining unit and repped by the UFCW.

About | UFCW Local 23


Back in the 70's and 80's, the established grocery chains were challenged by new competitors around here, mostly Shop n Save and Foodland stores. In order to get the new operators on board with becoming union shops, the union offered the new stores more favorable contracts as an enticement to go union.

[RickyInDeerPark]

Unions are drying up in the U.S.


The incredible decline of American unions, in one animated map - The Washington Post