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I have a very poor opinion of unions. The ones I worked with in NE were extremely weak and did absolutely nothing for their members except collect dues and grand stand when a union member was getting written up for anything. The union shop employees were no better off than the non union shops and frankly the non union shops had a better attitude.
In St Louis, the unions are a major PITA. I get so frustrated when an electrician or pipe fitter does their work and leaves a huge mess. They don’t clean it up because cleaning up is a laborer’s job - “don’t want to take away a good job from them”. I learned my lesson not to pick up a broom and clean up the mess.
I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve been on a job site being billed at $150+ per hour doing nothing because I’m waiting on a union electrician to do something that I could have done in a few seconds. I engineered, built and tested the freaking panel. I think I can close the 0.25 amp fuse holder so we can move forward.....I had a good friend of mine who is a conductor for the rail road. Still is. I asked him how work was going and he goes "not bad but there has been a light bulb burned out above r me for a week now and its really starting to get annoying" Im like......so reach your ass up there and change it? He goes " no way! thats taking a job from someone else!"
:facepalm: x 1000000000
I have a very poor opinion of unions. The ones I worked with in NE were extremely weak and did absolutely nothing for their members except collect dues and grand stand when a union member was getting written up for anything. The union shop employees were no better off than the non union shops and frankly the non union shops had a better attitude.
In St Louis, the unions are a major PITA. I get so frustrated when an electrician or pipe fitter does their work and leaves a huge mess. They don’t clean it up because cleaning up is a laborer’s job - “don’t want to take away a good job from them”. I learned my lesson not to pick up a broom and clean up the mess.
I'm not disagreeing with your post as unions were very instrumental in bringing about safety and decent wages in the early part of last century. I would challenge you though to look at more recent history.I hesitated to post because anytime you mention "unions" a lot of people get off ranting about the time they felt the union screwed them. You have to look at the overall good unions have done for working people. People banded together in the early 1900s because they were being treated so badly by their employers. There were no labor laws and people were routinely worked six or even seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day.
Here are some of the things unions have accomplished since their inception: 40 hour work week; overtime pay; paid holidays; vacation pay; sick pay; health insurance; workers compensation; job safety rules; and many more.
Are they perfect? No, but nothing is. They are as good as the people elected to run them.
Unions are necessary to maintain some kind of balance between workers and management. If there were no protection does anyone really believe that in this age of "I'm gonna get whatever I can" companies would treat their employees fairly?
I'm not disagreeing with your post as unions were very instrumental in bringing about safety and decent wages in the early part of last century. I would challenge you though to look at more recent history.
But they also kept bad people in jobs because they were a member.
What local?I'm still an IATSE member because some day when I retire from this career I want to get paid to see/listen to great shows again as my main occupation.
My wife was a more responsible union member and leader (ARASA) until very recently when she was forced to go over to the dark side of management. I did not envy her position in that union.
I remember those days as I worked for rail road for a short period. That was the only union I was ever in & it has not bothered me to not be one because of that type of attitude.....I had a good friend of mine who is a conductor for the rail road. Still is. I asked him how work was going and he goes "not bad but there has been a light bulb burned out above me for a week now and its really starting to get annoying" Im like......so reach your ass up there and change it? He goes " no way! thats taking a job from someone else!"
:facepalm: x 1000000000
Me? 151 Started with 48 in Akron. If you meant her (I didn't check if you mentioned what you work in), I have no idea. I should though. Her union bought me a lot of dinners. And the night of Topgolf that got me playing again. It's basically been obliterated this year, sadly. That's why she had to take a management job.What local?
Is 151 a studio mechanics local, or are you more theater based?Me? 151 Started with 48 in Akron. If you meant her (I didn't check if you mentioned what you work in), I have no idea. I should though. Her union bought me a lot of dinners. And the night of Topgolf that got me playing again. It's basically been obliterated this year, sadly. That's why she had to take a management job.
There can be both good and bad things about them - and more importantly, there are definitely good and bad unions. I've seen some that do virtually nothing for their members other than collect dues from them, and some that are very proactive and run with a lot of integrity. Which unions a person deals with will shape their opinions of them.I've not had to join a union nor have I dealt with one. I've heard good and bad things about unions.
Technically it's 'mixed', but almost all of district 9 outside of chicago is theater/venue work, in my experience. I was a roadie back in the day and was in a relationship for a long time with a very good ballet dancer, so it was a way for us to kind of be in the same places at the same time, sort of. And it's always handy to be able to pick up decent paying and interesting work quickly when you move somewhere new. Do you work in music/entertainment/performing arts?Is 151 a studio mechanics local, or are you more theater based?
I'm in film. ICG (IA local 600,) DGA, PGA and SAGTechnically it's 'mixed', but almost all of district 9 outside of chicago is theater/venue work, in my experience. I was a roadie back in the day and was in a relationship for a long time with a very good ballet dancer, so it was a way for us to kind of be in the same places at the same time, sort of. And it's always handy to be able to pick up decent paying and interesting work quickly when you move somewhere new. Do you work in music/entertainment/performing arts?