I want to preface this with the statement that I have never belonged to any union in any workplace. Ever. Currently I have to pay a “fee” to the union at work to cover the cost of the collective bargaining agreement that happens to cover my job as well (even though I am not a union member) but I’m fine with that – I get to enjoy most of the benefits of the CBA without actually having to become a union member. I’m not terribly fond of unions, as they are just as prone to abuse as the corporations that they find themselves opposing when it comes to workers’ rights. Just some background so that you can understand my position.
I heard a rumor today that some of the Republican representatives in my state have invited the “union-busting” asshats from Wisconsin to come speak in front of our legislature regarding trimming the budget through the elimination of collective bargaining rights. In short, they want to bust the state employees’ union here.
I hope that the word is spread far and wide, so that when these “people” show up at our state house they are met with a huge crowd of protesters. I want the word to be passed loud and clear to my state’s legislature – we WILL NOT permit union-busting tactics under the guise of “balancing the budget” to take place here in Vermont. The budget has already been trimmed enough with drastic cuts to aid programs, displaced state employees and concessions made to an already-existing CBA. If you want to trim the budget, how about our reps taking the same 3% pay cut they jammed down our throats last year? The one where our salaries were frozen for 2 years as well, without so much as a COLA?
To the Wisconsin representatives, I would simply say: Stay home and deal with YOUR OWN problems. We want you here about as much as we want the Westboro Baptist Church here (which, in case you missed it, means we don’t want you here at all, in any capacity). We’ve always managed to resolve our budget problems without outsiders coming in and telling us how to run our state – and we can STILL do it.
While I may not be a union member, the union here has always managed to force the administrations to play fair when it comes to the state employees. Sometimes not as fair as others, to be sure, but when I think of how things would have gone WITHOUT the union I get a headache.
Support your local unions in this cause, everyone. There are plenty of ways to trim the budget without doing it on the backs of the working class.
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You say you benefit from the Collective Bargaining, that should be worth more than a hat tip. I know you end with unqualified praise and support, it just seems a bit of a disconnect from the beginning of the piece.
And you know I love you like a brother (well, not like any of my brothers, but you know what I mean).
I've never been much of a "union man". Unions tend to get a bad rap because they protect workers even if those workers are horrible employees. Too much cronyism can occur when it isn't kept in check. Plus, I never liked the idea that someone else could tell me NOT to work.
HOWEVER (and you knew there was gonna be one of those) the last seven years that I've worked under the auspices of the CBA in my current job, I've noticed a couple of key things:
1) Those that have the power tend to wield it like a club instead of a pen.
2) Those that are beholden to the powerful seldom get a fair shake.
3) There can indeed be safety in numbers
4) Unions, when they actually keep the employee in the forefront of their activity, can keep the employers honest - more so than if there were no unions.
So, I didn't really mean to just tip my hat. I really did mean to come down on the side of the unions here. I've spent a total of about 32 years working both in private sector jobs and public service jobs. While I've had the good fortune to work for some good companies, I've worked places that I wouldn't go back to for double the money.
Even though I've never belonged to a union, I have come around to seeing the benefits of unions. Your example of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is spot on, as always.
Given that corporations run the country, we the workers damn well better have some form of representation. Otherwise, we're just cattle wondering if the door in front of us opens on the pasture or the chute.