Your company will take care of you

[General karthief]

I guess the manager of the Camaro/Firebird line I used to tip a couple of beers with listened to right wing radio too, even though he is Black.... The union stories he told me were truly unbelievable...... Stories like having an electrical plug from a machine on the line come out and having to wait for hours for the " Electrical Union " guys to finally get there ( in their golf cart) to plug in back in so the could start the line to build cars again...
Or waiting for the " Piper Fitter union " guys to unplug the quick connector lines to a machine to change it out......
You or I didn't dare touch those simple items to get things going again or the UNIONS would make a scandal out of things.....
Just a couple of the stories...... And we wonder why America lost the car building business to " overseas" NON union corporations??

I call bs on most of this story.
Unions fight for the members, working environments, wages and benefits,
I don't believe that guy could not just plug back in and continue working, if not there is more to the story. There was possibly a safety issue with the plug or reseptical? Unknown because we were not there, I too have heard stories like 'pipe fitters' that did not dig a ditch so the pipes could be installed, said 'union' rules say they don't have to, well then the forman didn't do his job by having a 'ditch digger' there to get the job done, that 'pipe fitter' didn't get a cut in pay because he dug the ditch so the job could continue.
I have no dog in this hunt, I live in a 'right to work' state.

 

[COramprat]

@limp I'm not saying that didn't happen. I heard some outlandish stories over the years. Sounds like 70's and 80's union issues and you may be right in why that caused drops in manufacturing and union membership. Unions can blame themselves but unions have evolved and that doesn't happen anymore. Like I said right wing radio and news perpetuates the stereotype that is no longer true. One thing that keeps wages fair in some jobs is union membership or the threat of organization. People think corporatatioms care about their well being. Most of them don't. They care about the bottom line and how much they can make for shareholders. It's time to quit thinking that the "trickle down" effect will keep wages fair. It didn't work on the 80's and it has worked since.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

The parks dept. put up hooks around the edge of a gazebo and along a picnic shelter stage for a city band I was involved with. (We alternated locations by week.) The hooks were for hanging up a string of work lights for our evening concerts. After the parks and rec dept guys that brought our chairs and stands out hung the lights up for a concert, the Parks Dept manager was informed that the electricians would have to be paid to put them up and be paid overtime. These were Temporary trouble lights that plugged into an existing outlet. He grudgingly had the money spent for the electricians to hang and take them down for the last two concerts. The next year, he was not going to pay to have the electricians do that, so tall band members did.
A few concerts in, the hooks were removed and he denied ever having lights put up light for us the previous year or ever, and the lights, (paid for out of the band budget), disappeared. Even though I still had correspondence about it, he was insistent about it never happening or going to happen again.

The Electrician’s union was strong in the town, and he is still a weasel.
We did eventually get two permanent lights in the gazebo, and he then changed it so we could only perform at the other location where they had concessions and did not always shut off the merry go round calliope.

The rail union reps in that town told new members to not work so hard if they were going to make other employees look bad by being productive. This report was from friends who work there, not any radio show.

I was also told by a union rep to not work so hard at the middle school level as I was making the other middle school’s director and the high school’s directors look bad. The principals and parents were noticing my groups and were asking for better results from the others. It should have been seen as I was making the high school directors’ jobs easier by sending better prepared students.
And there were several years where our raises were more than offset by insurance premium increases, even with a higher deductible and copay’s and another year of experience in the pay scale grid. That’s great negotiation results.
Some unions do not work as they are supposed to.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Still no notice from superemployee.

I've got his written warning on my desk. Monday should be fun.

I have 2 other employees that work with this gent who worked their ass off the last 3 days to make up for his not being here. I sent them home at noon today with a full day pay. I'll take them to lunch next week for a good steak.

 

[Bullitt347]

The rail union reps in that town told new members to not work so hard if they were going to make other employees look bad by being productive. This report was from friends who work there, not any radio show.

I was also told by a union rep to not work so hard at the middle school level as I was making the other middle school’s director and the high school’s directors look bad. The principals and parents were noticing my groups and were asking for better results from the others. It should have been seen as I was making the high school directors’ jobs easier by sending better prepared students.
And there were several years where our raises were more than offset by insurance premium increases, even with a higher deductible and copay’s and another year of experience in the pay scale grid. That’s great negotiation results.
Some unions do not work as they are supposed to.

Pretty much the same experience I had. Hey Bud, slow it down, you are making everyone here look bad. You keep this up, the rest of us will be expected to pick up the pace.
The the bragging about how much they had stolen, because the company "owed" it to them.
I left after a couple of months. Could not take the constant bad mouthing and threats.
At one time Unions had their place. Now it is pretty much a political tool used by those in power.

 

[LILCBRA]

Seems like an appropriate place to share this.....

Average wage/Salary
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html
1965. 4658.72
1970. 6186.24 +33% +133%
1975. 8630.92 +40% +185%
1980. 12513.46 +45% +269%
1985. 16822.51 +34% +361%
1990. 21027.98 +25% +451%
1995. 24705.66 +17% +530%
2000. 32154.82 +30% +690%
2005. 36952.94 +15% +793%
2010. 41673.83 +13% +895%
2015. 48098.63 +15% +1032%
2020. 55628.60 +16% +1194%


Homes
https://www.homelight.com/blog/house-price-history/

1965. 20200
1970 23900 +18% +118%
1975 38100 +59% +188.6%
1980 63700 +67% +315%
1985 82800 +30% +410%
1990 123900 +50% +613%
1995 130000 +05% +643%
2000 165300 +27% +818%
2005 232500 +41% +1151%
2010 222900 -04% +1103%
2015 289200 +30% +1432%
2020 329000 +14% +1629%


Gas
https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicle...storical-annual-gasoline-pump-price-1929-2015

1965. .31
1970. .36 +16% +116%
1975. .57 +58% +184%
1980. 1.19 +209% +384%
1985. 1.12 -06% +361%
1990. 1.15 +03% +371%
1995. 1.15 +00% +371%
2000. 1.51 +31% +487
2005. 2.30 +52% +742%
2010. 2.79 +21% +900%
2015. 2.45 -12% +790%
2020. 2.17 -11% +700%

Suburban

1965. 2630
1970. 3374 +28% +128%
1975. 4707 +39.5% +179%
1980. 7456 +58% +283%
1985. 10700 +43.5% +407%
1990. 16795 +57% +639%
1995. 23897 +42% +909%
2000. 36050 +51% +1371%
2005. 38765 +08% +1474%
2010. 40635 +05% +1545%
2015. 49000 +20.5% +1863%
2020. 51700 +5.5% +1966%

Mustang

1965. 2427
1970. 2822 +16% +116%
1975. 3801 +35% +157%
1980. 5338 +40% +220%
1985. 7885 +48% +325%
1990. 9456 +20% +390%
1995. 14330 +51.5% +590%
2000. 16710 +17% +689%
2005. 19215 +15% +792%
2010. 21395 +11% +882%
2015. 23800 +11% +981%
2020. 26670 +12% +1099%


US Politician average salary
1965 30000
1969 42500
1975 44600
1979 60,662.50
1985 75,100
1990 96600/98400
1995 129500
2000 141300
2005 162100
2010 174000
2015 174000
2020 174000

https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-compensation-2018/
".....the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio (options realized) was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989. CEOs are even making a lot more—about five times as much—as other earners in the top 0.1%. From 1978 to 2018, CEO compensation grew by 1,007.5%..."


"Your company will take care of you"?? This makes me laugh every time I see it pop up... They'll take care of you just as much as a lot of politicians will.....

Unions?? There are plenty of them that are just as greedy/useless. Sure, there are a number of them that work well and do good things, but there are a number of them that don't really do what they should. I've experienced first hand some of the stuff that @limp and @7991LXnSHO have illustrated in my time working in a union at Deere.

Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that the union doesn't have a way to fight offshoring. CEOs have found a way to render them all but useless AND make more money. Is it any wonder why we're losing our middle class?

 

[02 281 GT]

On my agenda today....

1. Prep for meeting with customer
2. Make sure some of my other engineers are on target with some of their tasks as there is risk of dates slipping
3. Deal with an employee who just doesn't show up to work (misses 2-3 days per week consistently) and yet finds every legal loophole to remain employed. The days he does show up he causes drama with other technicians. I've actually had to mediate "disagreements" between him and others

Next role will be a senior, non-managerial role. #3) above sucks up so much time it's not even funny.

We have a saying in the military that applies generally, “five percent of your troops take up ninety five percent of your time.”

And there is your typical Union employee.....

Honestly, being a union employee does not guarantee dirtbag status. Plenty of idiots like that in the military with no union in sight.

 

[COramprat]

I was thinking about this today. I know a few made the comment about "being your own man" and walking away when you feel you are treated unfairly. When you have a family, it's not that easy. If you are in a specialty job, sure, you may be able to move on but a lot of people work in arenas that don't necessarily have that option. That and the fact you are an at will employee subject to the whim of a boss who may have a personal vendetta.

Back in 2020, we were in the midst of COVID. My company decided it would be nice to cut everyone to part time even though they accepted millions in COVID relief funds. The union stepped in along with membership writing their congress people and the company backed down. Non representated airlines cut pay and benefits with employees having no recourse. An airline here had their employees collect unemployment, scheduled them under 20 hours week so they could still qualify for unemployment and then worked them 40 hours, having them punch out each day after 4. This is the kind of crap unions put a stop to.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

I was thinking about this today. I know a few made the comment about "being your own man" and walking away when you feel you are treated unfairly. When you have a family, it's not that easy. If you are in a specialty job, sure, you may be able to move on but a lot of people work in arenas that don't necessarily have that option. That and the fact you are an at will employee subject to the whim of a boss who may have a personal vendetta.

Back in 2020, we were in the midst of COVID. My company decided it would be nice to cut everyone to part time even though they accepted millions in COVID relief funds. The union stepped in along with membership writing their congress people and the company backed down. Non representated airlines cut pay and benefits with employees having no recourse. An airline here had their employees collect unemployment, scheduled them under 20 hours week so they could still qualify for unemployment and then worked them 40 hours, having them punch out each day after 4. This is the kind of crap unions put a stop to.

That’s what they are supposed to be doing. I wish they would all keep that focus.
If your family is never able to get an emergency or nest egg fund together, paycheck to paycheck as an at will employee in a bad job is not a fun place to be.