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true, but surely without a union, his pay would drop to 10 or 5 an hour.
Profit gouging, race to the bottom etc.. thus unions are necessary to prevent this.
I propose that service unions ought to be instated to protect low level workers such as waiters, cleaners, servers etc..
how about that idea?
We dont have a Union where I work and I have seen a 3% annual pay increase every year for the last 21 years.
I get 6 weeks vacation, 3 personal holidays, 10 holidays, health insurance, dental, eye glass, a hefty profit sharing/ 401.
Every year people retire millionaires.
All this and no Union.
Another comment for the person who suggested that unions represent all workers I'll give another example of how this is not true.
When I was a union member our contracts were usually for three years. If you started right after one contract had been negotiated you'd be in the workplace for three years before you theoretically would have a chance to have your voice heard in a way that would affect issues as spelled out in the contract.
Even though our contracts were for three years there would be occasions in between where the management would change the pay scale in order to respond to market conditions. We had to vote to accept these. If the management presented a contract that would increase the wages of the newer workers by $1/hr, but only increased the pay of the more senior workers by 80 cents, the senior workers would make all sorts of threats of rejecting such a raise, even though they were still making substantially more than the newer workers.
We dont have a Union where I work and I have seen a 3% annual pay increase every year for the last 21 years.
I get 6 weeks vacation, 3 personal holidays, 10 holidays, health insurance, dental, eye glass, a hefty profit sharing/ 401.
Every year people retire millionaires.
All this and no Union.
but is that a relatively low level position, such as coal miner, bus driver, cleaner etc?
because these people usually get stiffed, and then this is justified with repetitve empty cant such as 'improve your skills' etc..
and if the bus driver improves his skills, then who will drive the bus?
even if they do that, then how about the replacement workers?
Why should they get stiffed here.
How about the idea of getting paid a fair wage for a fair days work?
When you agree to work for someone you agree to the wage. If it doesn't seem fair to you look else where.
Even where I work I hear this argument. The average person where I work is paid double the average in our area. Yet you hear we are getting screwed, we don't get paid enough. Typically it is the lowest performers who run their mouths. They disregard the hefty retirement package, they disregard the benefit package and they disregard that most the equipment is highly automated so we don't do a whole lot of manual labor.
Don't like the pay at Walmart? Look else where, the job that pays more might require a lot more.
I hear what you are saying. You break your back for a company they should pay a fair wage. A wage comparable to industry standard.
The same question can be asked why do Union workers obsess over those of us who don't want to join?
Look at the many posts on here going both ways. Broad brush statements to describe the other side.
I've been a union person for 25 years and it's never crossed my mind that I think someone should join.
There are pros and cons to being union, I respect the people who choose to work non union. They just can't work where I work.
but is that a relatively low level position, such as coal miner, bus driver, cleaner etc?
because these people usually get stiffed, and then this is justified with repetitve empty cant such as 'improve your skills' etc..
and if the bus driver improves his skills, then who will drive the bus?
Well there is a choice in all this. Stagnate or improve. Who will drive the bus? The next guy on his way up.
Our people start at $17 an hour. If they apply themselves they will be promoted in about a year to 16months to $20.00 an hour.
2 years later up to 23 an hour.
After that it is leadership position and in depth mechanical etc. Tech 4 makes about 27 an hour I am a 5 I make just under 31 an hour.
Low skilled jobs have low salaries because they are low skilled. Anyone can fill a street sweepers position.
I've been a union person for 25 years and it's never crossed my mind that I think someone should join.
There are pros and cons to being union, I respect the people who choose to work non union. They just can't work where I work.
Yes you do. However read the many posts bashing anyone who is so stupid, gutless, bootlickers etc who don't join unions.
Like you I have no real issue with Unions and have a profound respect for the trade Unions.
However, we have also seen some Unions use thug tactics. Growing up in a Union area I saw it a lot during strikes. I was even a victim of it when I was 10. I understand these are normally individual actions that don't represent the majority. Then again you seldom hear Union reps publicly denounce such acts either.
The way it works is that as soon as the amount of bus drivers decreases, the immigrants are brought into the fold, thus keeping the pay low.
Then the immigrants will gradually become more skilled thus challenging your own position, then what will you do, especially once you have neared the end of the line of improvement?
Eventually we will be left with a 'tossed aside, white working class' in favor of immigrants who will remain subservient to the master's table.
No thanks!
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