Here's one for ya...

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Walmart closed a store in Canada when the workers tried to unionize.


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[bbsam]

I don't believe for a moment that Fred would close Express if the couriers unionized.

 

[MrFedEx]

Walmart closed a store in Canada when the workers tried to unionize.


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Gee, WalMart...quite a surprise there.

 

[MrFedEx]

I don't believe for a moment that Fred would close Express if the couriers unionized.

Correct. Fred has a huge investment in infrastructure. You don't just close a business, especially one that is viable.

 

[MrFedEx]

Are you really that effen dense????

I am very happy to be a Teamster. I have helped in a failed organizing attempt and am willing to explain to anyone that listens the benefits that I enjoy because I am a Teamster. I have listened to non union workers tell me one misconception after another about unions. I know that uneducated people will believe a business owner when he says, "If you vote to unionize, I will shut this business down." No one will questions it. They believe it and vote not to join a union.

I am not stupid. I can read and have read the history of unions in the US. I know that they have had corruption problems and could benefit immensely from a good PR firm. A GREAT PR firm would be even better.

The south is FULL of people that HATE unions, until unions are able to overcome that uneducated hatred, they will always have a harder time than they should organizing workplaces that would be way better with a union.

The REALITY that you refuse to accept, is that organizing a workplace is unbelievably hard. You have absolutely no idea how hard.

I have personally had a great deal to do with FedEx organization efforts, particularly in the 1996-97 timeframe, so you're barking at the wrong dog. You don't have a clue of what Express is like, or the anti-union crap we have to deal with on a daily basis. Do you deny that there aren't Upstate-like UPS hypocrites that abound on this site?

 

[barnyard]

Do you deny that there aren't Upstate-like UPS hypocrites that abound on this site?

Of course not. But to suggest that I am one of them is beyond stupid.

 

[barnyard]

Did you know that there are railroad union employees that make more, every year than the best paid UPS feeder drivers???? Did you also know that some of those folks are anti union???

 

[MrFedEx]

Did you know that there are railroad union employees that make more, every year than the best paid UPS feeder drivers???? Did you also know that some of those folks are anti union???

Sure. There is no shortage of idiots. Railroaders also work insane amounts of hours, but the ones I know are doing extremely well (100-140k). The downside is lousy home time and constantly rotating hours.

 

[Serf]

I touched on this a few days ago in the "don't you wish you worked for GM thread." I knew once People read the Washington Times article saying it most likely was GOP intimidation and loss of tax breaks that they would ultimately cave. But FedExRookie made some good points as to why it may have failed. Not jumping to conclusions and assuming it was a Republican issue. When Tennessee, statistically experienced the largest union growth per state in the south last year. FedexRookie stated:
There are no facts only our opinions as to why the workers opposed it. Here are my assumptions.

1. Politicians ran anti democrat/obama ads. Saying supporting a union was like supporting liberals. Everyone knows Tennesse is a red state.

2. The workers saw Detroit fall with unions.

3. Workers see it as paying another organization when they don't have to. Three is a crowd?

4. Maybe people just don't want unions

5. I read a local Tennessee blog, a non Volkswagen workers said $18 is more than enough there. He felt as though workers were happy with that pay, considering the cost of living, and felt no reason to interject another party into a circumstance that would leave the workers well off for their location.

The UAW has seen drastic drops in membership. I think unions can be a good thing, but all good things become corrupt and come to an end. The union went from being about the workers to being about making money and doing just a little for the workers. It's not feasible to do; however, unions and politics would be a lot better if we could hit a magic restart button on them.

Read more: http://www.browncafe.com/community/...you-worked-for-gm.354832/page-2#ixzz2taKCRX3r

 

[Cactus]

Then again maybe there aren't really any pressing issues at that plant requiring 3rd party intervention.

You gotta' be kidding.

There's always someone in management that practices abuse of power, trying to shorten an employee's paycheck or unfair terminations.

Get your head out of Fantasyland.

 

[59 Dano]

I can see where if someone were to look at the history of the UAW, they would vote no. I can see the same with the Teamsters. Hard sell in a 'right to work' state. I think it is pretty amazing they got 47% of the vote.

The consensus has been that if they didn't win at the Chattanooga plant then they really didn't have a shot at any other auto plants in the area.

These new plants are going up in places where the cost of living is low and the compensation allows employees to live comfortably. The relations between employees and management are smooth. The UAW is out of touch. These plants already provide so much of what the UAW promises.

 

[59 Dano]

The point is, you don't have another example of the Company being ok with possibly unionizing, the People up for vote and a Senator dong whatever they can to stop it.

That is the point, a Senator got involved. Like what business is it of theirs? Obviously the UAW would be involved as they are the one organizing. I just found this a very interesting case and I am far from alone on that thought.

His involvement consisted of saying that he was against it and would vote against incentives for the plant if the UAW succeeded. That was a silly thing for him to do and didn't do any favors for his image, but it's hardly an issue.

 

[59 Dano]

By "accomplishments" do you mean getting the best deal possible for their members? The companies the UAW bargained with didn't have to give what they gave but did because the deals were fair to both sides. Not the unions fault that the big 3 didn't see foreign competition as a threat until it was too late.

No one is assigning full blame to the union, but let's not be naive. The UAW blissfully exacerbated the problems of Detroit and did not give a flying fornication until it was too late. It's not the Big 3's fault that the rank and file would not budge once the writing was on the wall.

 

[59 Dano]

59 Dano is not only a shill, but he's ignorant too. I guess he likes working for less and giving-back benefits so Fred and his buddies can grow even richer...at our expense.

I couldn't possibly like it as much as you because you've been taking it far longer than I have and, even with your awesome qualifications and multiple job offers that you keep turning down, you'll stick around and keep taking it. Shut your mouth and keep taking it, just as you have, just as you are, just as you will.

 

[59 Dano]

5. I read a local Tennessee blog, a non Volkswagen workers said $18 is more than enough there. He felt as though workers were happy with that pay, considering the cost of living, and felt no reason to interject another party into a circumstance that would leave the workers well off for their location.

That's most of it right there. Add to that the fact that starting pay in many UAW contracts is now just $14 or $15. Why pay a union to represent you when it can't beat what you're already getting?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

That's most of it right there. Add to that the fact that starting pay in many UAW contracts is now just $14 or $15. Why pay a union to represent you when it can't beat what you're already getting?

This was the two-tiered wage system that they had to agree to in order to receive the bailout.

 

[Serf]

That's most of it right there. Add to that the fact that starting pay in many UAW contracts is now just $14 or $15. Why pay a union to represent you when it can't beat what you're already getting?

That's what I am talking about! If I am an employee at the plant I am thinking to myself overall pretty good deal. Why pay a union 90 or 100 bucks a month for that? Now as it pertains to Fedex, If compensation was even similar to the competition people would quiet down and stop preaching union. And lastly, to rustle some feathers in the skilled vs. unskilled labor category. Plant workers=skilled labor.

 

[Cactus]

That's what I am talking about! If I am an employee at the plant I am thinking to myself overall pretty good deal. Why pay a union 90 or 100 bucks a month for that?

Oh geez....One more time.....Because with a binding contract with a union, there are scheduled pay raises that can't be taken away on a whim (ala' Fred S) and usually decent raises too. Not some crappy 2% every third year. What about retirement? Some CEO (like Fred) can't just go changing it with a stroke of a pen because it's not to his liking. Also it's much harder to be fired because the plant manager doesn't like the way you part your hair.

I could go on but you and Dano just don't get it.

 

[MAKAVELI]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/conservative-groups-anti-union-effort-205859235.html

 

[TUT]

With conservatives getting their noses into this, it just reminds me of things I think of:

1. Is pay and jobs stagnant because they are trying to sabotage the system with a Democratic President? They are making more money than ever, but they are acting very stingy on raises and hiring? So if/when a Republican becomes President again, does it shift? And then things like "See, we told you conservatism is better for the economy". I see no real reason why pay and beni's are getting cut at this time.

2. The Affordable Health Care act has to be a very perplexing one for them. They don't want the other side to get credit for a successful institutional change, that will look bad. So they hope for fail and again sabotage things to try to ensure failure. But at the same time the big companies hate skyrocketing health care no matter if the affordable health care act existed or not, health care has been skyrocketing for decades.

So what could they devise? We'll give less coverage and charge them more for it (hence save us $$$) and then blame it on the affordable health care act as to why people feel jip'd. Because face it, we already have 40% of the population that will support to death anything we say as a conservative, that is more than enough to muddy the waters.