Unions in Michigan

Baaad GN

New member
Well I have been watching tape on Fox New's and was surprized all the fighting (actual) that went on at their State House or right to work issue. The other TV channels never showed it! Wonder why? Have you guy's seen it?
Just wondering!
 
Haven't seen it Ed, but I could only imagine..

As for dues. Mine was always 3.5%, because of all the lay offs since 08, they finally increased it to 5%. Big deal. Where else could I ever make what I make? My brother in law has always cried about his, I told him to quit. Go find the greener grass! 😏


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I have not seen it. But I have been reading about it on The Chicago Garage.


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The dues don't bother me, its what the dues are primarily used for that does..... A few people at the top financing candidates, more than a few of their dues paying members don't vote for......
 
Well I have been watching tape on Fox New's and was surprized all the fighting (actual) that went on at their State House or right to work issue. The other TV channels never showed it! Wonder why? Have you guy's seen it?
Just wondering!


Of course. Union thug punches right to work man repeatedly for merely asking him and his friends why they support the union while they all are screaming profanity and tearing down right to work tent with some women and old people in it. Left wing media ignores it. Some things never change and never will.:beatnik:
 
some good--some bad

I was a member of the Board of Directors of the Allied Pilot's Association representing the pilots and flight engineers of American Airlines for over 10 years. It was a single company union and we did not have membership ratification---all members of the Board, Negotiating Commitee and Legal Staff were all active Line Pilots who flew the line, under the contract they signed, for about 90 % of their time. The only time we got paid time-off was during negotiations. The President, V/P, and CFO were paid $ 1000 a month extra during these times. There was no Strike Fund. I don't remember what our dues % was , but it was small. On the last day of every month, the company transferred cash to the Union amounting to 11% of the Pilot Total Payroll. This money was deposited into Individual Retirement Accounts, paid the daily operating expenses, Pilot Life Insurance and Disability Insurance and one Convention a year (the Company paid 50% of the Convention costs). We had the best contracts in the industry and allowed American the flexibility to win millions of dollars in contracts that the Air Line Pilot's Assoc. couldn't get pilot ratification in time to meet the contract deadlines---it was a win-win operation. In the mid-80s, the founding members started to retire and the new leaders gave in to membership ratification----we never got a contract after that without long and bitter negotiations. American Airlines became a part of AMR Corp. (which airline revenues financed ) The rest of the story you all know--the "Bean Counters " , with no experience in running an airline, took over AMR and our union began fighting among themselves---nobody with pilot experience was running the show . Extreme distrust developed between the Company and all their Unions when Corporate Bonuses took away any reason for the rank and file to give 110%--that's where we are now.
I don't have any answers and I know union leadership diverted a lot of worker's money. "In the Good Old Days" we had strict government regulation, everybody worked under the same rules and there were penalties if you didn't comply---Deregulation ended all that and led to the collapse of the entire airline industry, as it has in every other deregulated field of business. The cost to the American Worker has been devastating.
And now ,my opinion, looking back over 84 years of living. American Business is incapable of regulating itself--you cannot have a viable economy unless you have a strong Middle Class, made up of highly-skilled Labor, manufacturing quality products for the workers to buy and for us to Export. You cannot pay off a Deficit without having these Workers, getting decent wages and paying a fair share of the load--a tax increase---but, you can't pay taxes if you aren't working--bring the Good Jobs Home so our kids can look forward to something better than low-paying servitude.
And just remember, you don't kill the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs--you get rid of the rotten eggs--use your Constitutional Right to remove those delinquents in Washington through the use of the Re-call Vote--then elect someone to Congress who cares more about you than they do about "The Party" . If the voter's dont get their heads out of the dark place and wake up--our kids don't stand a chance.


Well--I've had my rant--feels goooood. Now for a good nites sleep A Tired Old Man
 
I live here, it was pretty bad. If you as a working person in this country can look at Michigan's economy and honestly tell me the Unions are helping us you are BLIND! Unions are what got into this mess and continue to keep us where we are. Over paid fat azzes that make up rules so anyone can F off all day on the job, you go to pick up parts and ten people who are perfectly capable of running a high low to get us on our way but oh no, thats not my job, you have to have a driver for that...ten guys watching one dig a hole in a construction zone, sleeping on the job cause your "rate" is done for the day...these are just a few of the issues in this country...I have toured many of the GM plants here ion Michigan, and in Kentucky and they are all the same. Its a JOKE, if I walked in my shop and saw my guy sleeping I'd throw his azz on the street. NO UNION should be allowed to rape a company the way they do.
 
Here is what I wrote on The Chicago Garage. I just copied and pasted it. I think unions are still needed mostly in the construction industry as there are A LOT of crooked and shady contractors out there that will do ANYTHING to an employee. I've seen it and I've heard it.

I can tell you this. I'm in the Operating Engineers Local 150. There are some things I really hate and some things I really like.
When we were nonunion I busted my ass off to learn the most and be the best driller we have. And I succeeded in that. When we went union. Same principles apply to me.

(our company forced us, we didn't vote or sign cards until the morning we were told we were going to be a union shop)

I think unions have there place in the labor movement today. Mostly in the construction industry I think. As there are A LOT of shady and crooked employers/contractors out there who will take it apon themselves to jerk around an employee, take advantage of, unsafe working conditions and such or not even pay the employee.


Plus a big benefit for me as a member of local 150. I have the tools available to me to learn and practice on every piece of construction equipment imaginable, welding, diesels, technicians who inspect concrete, steel structures, cranes, CDL's, HAZMAT, MSHA and much much more. There are even classes that credits are transferable to colleges too.

I just wish unions in general were not so ****ing greedy and pushy though. It sure leaves a black eye apon it's members.


I've been drilling for the same company for 17 years now and have been union 8 of those. We work year round then and work year round now. I've never been laid off. I continue to be the best I can be. We do not get payed vacations. Our employer puts in X amount of dollars per hours worked into my vacation fund. I will get a check the following year totaling what amounts to about 2-21/2 weeks of payed vacation and no payed sick days or personal days.


Let's be realistic here. There are a ton of lazy non union and union workers.


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If you were not in a union you would be blasting the crap out of them, be honest.

A lefty on one issue, lol.
 
If you were not in a union you would be blasting the crap out of them, be honest.

A lefty on one issue, lol.

Nope. Never cared about unions when we where nonunion and still don't care now. I do have a problem with people on both sides acting like animals.


Sent from my iPhone 4S

DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom
 
Nope. Never cared about unions when we where nonunion and still don't care now. I do have a problem with people on both sides acting like animals.


Sent from my iPhone 4S

DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

OK, my bad.

We have union and non-union working side by side where i work, the attitude of the union guys is funny, i stay out of it but it's something to behold!

:beer:
 
Nope. Never cared about unions when we where nonunion and still don't care now. I do have a problem with people on both sides acting like animals.


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DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

I agree. I have not worked for a union, never liked the thought of paying someone to defend weather or not I do my job correctly.
 
Does Freedom of Association mean Freedom From Association?
In some cases the Unions have become what they were formed to oppose.
Most Unions are non-tax paying entities and are not subject to many of the campaign finance laws and anti trust laws.
In WI when the law was changed eliminating the franchise the Union owned benefit co had in many cases the premiums were cut in half. I saw a group split off from a union to form their own local union and the sole issue was the excessive benefits charge by the union.
Follow the money! For some examples of the extraordinary pay some of the Union bosses take from their members;
mcclatchydc.com/2012/05/13/v-print/148607/hefty-salaries-perks-for-union.html
 
As union membership declines over time due to a variety of reasons workers wages and benefits will certainly decline. Shareholders could care less about workers.
 
As union membership declines over time due to a variety of reasons workers wages and benefits will certainly decline. Shareholders could care less about workers.

What an incorrect statement! Shareholders care about their investment. For the vast majority of companies the greatest asset is the employees. Have you ever owned a company that you also worked at?
 
What an incorrect statement! Shareholders care about their investment. For the vast majority of companies the greatest asset is the employees. Have you ever owned a company that you also worked at?

Are you serious? You sound like a Human Resources manual.

Then why, when things go south, are employee cutbacks and "downsizing" the first thing on the agenda? Just about everyone I know has been downsized, some more than once.

If profits drop, or a company can get the same production with less employees (ie, automation), the employee goes, the robot stays.

Shareholders, and I am one, care about stock appreciation/dividends, and if lowering expenses can increase profits, win/win.

Now, that may be different in mom/pop organizations, but not in larger companies.

Someone posted that IT workers do well in this environment with regards to off shoring.

Not in my last company, a major Wall Street firm.

Tech centers, not brokers, were off shored quicker than you could say "supercharger", and this was before the big slowdown.

And, I hope those who think that unions are pure evil never get into a position where, as you age, you find yourself becoming too high priced. You then run the greater risk of becoming "downsized", as long as the company stays within certain guidelines.

And, before I hear all the " well, the older worker had the opportunity to move up the food chain..........."

Simple answer, company structures are a pyramid. Not everyone gets to the next level.

Yes, unions got too top heavy and greedy, and I've been both a union worker (UAW and Steelworkers) and a manager of union people before I got into IT, where I managed vendors comprised of union and non-union workers. (But, has anybody looked at the average bonus on Wall Street? It's in the hundreds of thousands. Now, my Wall Street bonus, and that of my department's co-workers, was nowhere near that, so someone else did real well, about 500K worth....each!)

But, without collective bargaining, it's a one sided ballgame, wages will continue to remain low, and the middle class necessary to get us out of this hole will not rebound.
 
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Unions need to go away. I supervised union and non-union employees when I was in the military, most were as hard working as the next guy but there were a few employees that took full advantage of what the union offered. Oh, and the union president worked for me and it was negotiated in the union contract that he would recieve a "superior" rating on his annual appraisal. The union stewards were the lazy asses and complainers that didn't want to work. They were allowed a few hours of "Union" time to conduct business of which they did none, but they did learn how to play darn good game of spades.

The bargaining union employees did not have to pay dues, but the AFGE (Armed Forced Gov't Employee union) did have to represent them in the event of a grievence or unfair labor practice and this erked the **** out the Union president.

In my experience the only thing I noticed the Union accomplishing reduced worker productivity and the pissing off of management and hard working employees.

There is no need for a union these days, plain and simple. If you don't want to work for a company, find other employment.

The foriegn owned car, vehicle assembly plants in the US are not union and they pay quite well.
 
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