Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will state.

[Southwestern]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

AssistantSanta,
With all due respect, not joining the union isn't going to get you harassed. But your arrogant, opinionated, know-it-all attitude will. And not just harassed... they'll eat you alive!!! You seem like a really nice, well-educated, intelligent guy. Let me give you a piece of advice: KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!! Don't tell anyone you didn't join the union and they won't know; don't tell anybody your opinions, don't give a hint of your intelligence, etc. and you'll do fine. Just know that working inside a hub, being micromanaged by some 18-year-old kid showing off to his friends, getting up at 3AM, etc. is a whole different ball game than driver helping.

 

[AssistantSanta]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Why do you want to be a hub worker?

Something to do as resume builder for now. I'm eying to get into something to do operations management or production planning. This is far more relevant to my field than working at Starbucks or anything retail.

AssistantSanta,
With all due respect, not joining the union isn't going to get you harassed. Just know that working inside a hub, being micromanaged by some 18-year-old kid showing off to his friends, getting up at 3AM, etc. is a whole different ball game than driver helping.

Is there a reason you feel the need to disparage others for irrelevant factors like age, race, gender, etc etc? It's disrespectful and unwarranted, just as me referring to you as "some old fart that thinks he's more entitled because he's wrinkly"

 

[Catatonic]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

It is knowledge to know that a tomato is a fruit.
It is wisdom to know not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.

 

[BrownArmy]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Is there a reason you feel the need to disparage others for irrelevant factors like age, race, gender, etc etc? It's disrespectful and unwarranted, just as me referring to you as "some old fart that thinks he's more entitled because he's wrinkly"

Is there a reason you feel the need to disparage the insights of others who have actually worked the job, know the reality of it, and are experienced with the politics on both sides?

IF you get hired, and IF you decide to take the job, one week of work inside a hub will give you a clue.

 

[AssistantSanta]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Is there a reason you feel the need to disparage the insights of others who have actually worked the job, know the reality of it, and are experienced with the politics on both sides?.

There isn't. I didn't speak negatively of insights. I object to critical comment about someone that focuses on their age and calling someone "kid" in a pejorative context that speaks of him as a lower class for no other reason other than his age.

Note that he said "some 18 year old kid" instead of "inexperienced supervisor" who could be a 50 year old recovering drug addict or a recent honor HS graduate with both having the same amount of experience in the relevant field.

Treating or speaking of colleagues with disrespect because of their age is unacceptable and I don't do it myself.

 

[Catatonic]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

There isn't. I didn't speak negatively of insights. I object to critical comment about someone that focuses on their age and calling someone "kid" in a pejorative context that speaks of him as a lower class for no other reason other than his age.

Note that he said "some 18 year old kid" instead of "inexperienced supervisor" who could be a 50 year old recovering drug addict or a recent honor HS graduate with both having the same amount of experience in the relevant field.

Treating or speaking of colleagues with disrespect because of their age is unacceptable and I don't do it myself.

Case in point - You did not end your post by writing, "You old fart!"

 

[soberups]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Something to do as resume builder for now. I'm eying to get into something to do operations management or production planning. This is far more relevant to my field than working at Starbucks or anything retail.

If you only regard the job as temporary, then why is the ability to cross a picket line with no repercussions even a factor in whether or not you would choose full membership vs. paying an agency fee? It is over a year and a half until the current contract expires, which is the earliest date that crossing a picket line would even be a possibility for you in the first place.

As far as your question about whether or not you will experience harassment for being an agency fee payer, I would say probably not as long as you keep your mouth shut about it (which I highly doubt you will be able to do). We only have one agency fee payer in our building, and very few people are even aware of his status as such. Our BA has given specific instructions to the shop stewards that this employee is to be treated with respect and given full representation should he ever request it, which he never has. Any sort of harassment, or failure on the part of the union to adequately represent this employee, could subject the Local to a potential lawsuit. For all intents and purposes, this employees status as an agency fee payer is a complete non-issue.

As a practical matter, being an agency fee payer will save you about $1 a month on your union dues. Only you can decide for yourself whether that is an option you should pursue. One last thing I will point out is that during the '97 strike the company locked us out of our location, so our agency fee payer never even had an opportunity to cross the picket line in the first place. And since he never showed up to do time on the line, he never got any strike pay and he missed out on some of the temporary warehouse jobs that were available to members in good standing (I made $50 per week strike pay plus about $12 an hour loading trucks at a local beverage distributor). But he saved $1 on his union dues that month.

 

[AssistantSanta]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

If you only regard the job as temporary, then why is the ability to cross a picket line with no repercussions even a factor in whether or not you would choose full membership vs. paying an agency fee? It is over a year and a half until the current contract expires, which is the earliest date that crossing a picket line would even be a possibility for you in the first place.

Temp, although I have not decided how long I want/can handle the job, so I want to opt out of being at Union's mercy as much as possible.

Any sort of harassment, or failure on the part of the union to adequately represent this employee, could subject the Local to a potential lawsuit. For all intents and purposes, this employees status as an agency fee payer is a complete non-issue.

Thanks for you insight. This is the input I was looking for.

And since he never showed up to do time on the line, he never got any strike pay and he missed out on some of the temporary warehouse jobs that were available to members in good standing (I made $50 per week strike pay plus about $12 an hour loading trucks at a local beverage distributor). But he saved $1 on his union dues that month.

Is that actually legal today to make jobs available to ONLY union members?

 

[washington57]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Temp, although I have not decided how long I want/can handle the job, so I want to opt out of being at Union's mercy as much as possible.


Thanks for you insight. This is the input I was looking for.


Is that actually legal today to make jobs available to ONLY union members?

The union's mercy? Get a GRIP!

Is it legal today to make jobs availble to only union members? Hmm, you seem pretty good at the internet why don you go google that and report back.

 

[Coldworld]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

If you only regard the job as temporary, then why is the ability to cross a picket line with no repercussions even a factor in whether or not you would choose full membership vs. paying an agency fee? It is over a year and a half until the current contract expires, which is the earliest date that crossing a picket line would even be a possibility for you in the first place.

As far as your question about whether or not you will experience harassment for being an agency fee payer, I would say probably not as long as you keep your mouth shut about it (which I highly doubt you will be able to do). We only have one agency fee payer in our building, and very few people are even aware of his status as such. Our BA has given specific instructions to the shop stewards that this employee is to be treated with respect and given full representation should he ever request it, which he never has. Any sort of harassment, or failure on the part of the union to adequately represent this employee, could subject the Local to a potential lawsuit. For all intents and purposes, this employees status as an agency fee payer is a complete non-issue.

As a practical matter, being an agency fee payer will save you about $1 a month on your union dues. Only you can decide for yourself whether that is an option you should pursue. One last thing I will point out is that during the '97 strike the company locked us out of our location, so our agency fee payer never even had an opportunity to cross the picket line in the. , ,,,,first place. And since he never showed up to do time on the line, he never got any strike pay and he missed out on some of the temporary warehouse jobs that were available to members in good standing (I made $50 per week strike pay plus about $12 an hour loading trucks at a local beverage distributor). But he saved $1 on his union dues that month.

It's only a dollar saved...why go that route in the first place. Is this worker someone who has had a bad past experience with the union or just someone who has no desire to be part of one.

 

[soberups]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Temp, although I have not decided how long I want/can handle the job, so I want to opt out of being at Union's mercy as much as possible. ....Thanks for you insight. This is the input I was looking for. ...Is that actually legal today to make jobs available to ONLY union members?

I should clarify on the last point.

Members who needed temporary employment during the strike were told to speak to our Business Agent, who could refer them to various union shops in the area.

Our Business Agent was putting in 12+ hour days on the picket line. So if you wanted to talk to him about a temp job, the picket line was the place to find him.

For whatever reason, our agency fee payer chose not to come down to the picket line or the union hall to discuss temporary employment with our BA. Perhaps he felt that sitting at home and earning nothing was preferable to placing himself "at the union's mercy."

 

[soberups]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Oh and by the way......AssistantSanta started a virtually identical thread to this one back in November of 2010 under the screen name "SloppyJoes7."

http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f39/what-happens-if-you-dont-join-union-336592/

 

[hondo]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

Oh and by the way......AssistantSanta started a virtually identical thread to this one back in November of 2010 under the screen name "SloppyJoes7."

http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f39/what-happens-if-you-dont-join-union-336592/

Yep! Having realized this several weeks ago, it was much easier to sit back and enjoy the 'Tales of the Assistant Santa'.

I do want to extend kudos to the BrownCafe enmasse, you were pretty well behaved while taking him/her at face value.

 

[AssistantSanta]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

I should clarify on the last point.

Members who needed temporary employment during the strike were told to speak to our Business Agent, who could refer them to various union shops in the area.
....
For whatever reason, our agency fee payer chose not to come down to the picket line or the union hall to discuss temporary employment with our BA. Perhaps he felt that sitting at home and earning nothing was preferable to placing himself "at the union's mercy."

soberups,

Referring back to your earlier post I've responded to, it implies that jobs were available to "membership in good standing" with a specific trade union was a requirement to get this job hence the question if that hiring practice is legal. From the way you wrote it, it can be construed as a closed shop system that was outlawed in 1947.

Now you're adding that agency fee payers never visited a union representative to inquire about the job, however that brings up the question you even mentioned "member in good membership".
So, my followup question was if that was the case, isn't that a discriminatory hiring practice?

And since he never showed up to do time on the line, he never got any strike pay and he missed out on some of the temporary warehouse jobs that were available to members in good standing

Oh and by the way......AssistantSanta started a virtually identical thread to this one back in November of 2010 under the screen name "SloppyJoes7."

http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f39/what-happens-if-you-dont-join-union-336592/

Nope, that is not me. I have never visited this site until November of this year. Some of you seem to respond with a surprise that there are multiple people who have similar POVs. That website he referenced comes up near the top when you run a Google search about mandatory union dues and such. Perhaps its a common practice here to accuse those having a different POVs as other people having views dissenting from that of the "majority" here.

 

[menotyou]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

There is one person spreading his agenda here.

 

[AssistantSanta]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

There is one person spreading his agenda here.

You're sadly mistaken if you think that only one person can possibly oppose to the popular by majority view and post about it

 

[menotyou]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

I am not sadly mistaken that one troll has many identities. That is a fact. There is more than one troll here. That is a fact. What am I mistaken about, again?

 

[Anonymous 10]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

You're sadly mistaken if you think that only one person can possibly oppose to the popular by majority view and post about it

Troll

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

You're sadly mistaken if you think that only one person can possibly oppose to the popular by majority view and post about it

Troll

This is what I like about Brown Cafe---you can have an intelligent, well-thought out, coherent post and, two seconds later, a post by 407.

Did I mention that Sloppy Joes and tater tots is one of my favorite dinners?

 

[menotyou]

Re: Pros and Cons of not joining the union? Hub worker candidate here in At-Will sta

This is what I like about Brown Cafe---you can have an intelligent, well-thought out, coherent post and, two seconds later, a post by 407.Did I mention that Sloppy Joes and tater tots is one of my favorite dinners?

Eureka!! I've got it!!! Upstate is A. Santa!!!