Big Labor (Unions) were some of the biggest advocates for raising minimum wage, yet at the last minute they want to be exempted.
Article in the LA Times.
From the article.
Quote:
"With a collective bargaining agreement, a business owner and the employees negotiate an agreement that works for them both. The agreement allows each party to prioritize what is important to them," Hicks said in a statement. "This provision gives the parties the option, the freedom, to negotiate that agreement. And that is a good thing."
I find it kind of ironic that this union goon thinks that it's alright that a business owner and employees are given the freedom to negotiate an agreement. However, why does it have to be done through collective bargaining via a union? The answer is simple. First, the union goons need to line their own pockets via union dues as well as line the pockets of politicians who support them.
What this whole thing is designed to do is subtly "force" more companies to be willing to allow unions. That way the company can pay less than minimum wage, and the union membership rises. That means more money for the union goons and more money to support liberal politicians. This comes at the expense of employees earning less than the state mandated minimum wage.
Quote:Big Labor (Unions) were some of the biggest advocates for raising minimum wage, yet at the last minute they want to be exempted. Article in the LA Times.
From the article.
I find it kind of ironic that this union goon thinks that it's alright that a business owner and employees are given the freedom to negotiate an agreement. However, why does it have to be done through collective bargaining via a union? The answer is simple. First, the union goons need to line their own pockets via union dues as well as line the pockets of politicians who support them.
What this whole thing is designed to do is subtly "force" more companies to be willing to allow unions. That way the company can pay less than minimum wage, and the union membership rises. That means more money for the union goons and more money to support liberal politicians. This comes at the expense of employees earning less than the state mandated minimum wage.
Unions are not needed any more I don't think. Typically ultra corrupt and have brainwashed members into thinking they are actually working for them.
Quote:Unions are not needed any more I don't think. Typically ultra corrupt and have brainwashed members into thinking they are actually working for them.
Well, it was bound to happen... first thing I have read from you that I disagree.
Quote:Well, it was bound to happen... first thing I have read from you that I disagree.
lol Despite what some people tihnk about progressives we don't all think the same way about everything.
It's not that in general they are all bad I don't think. It's that the ones I have personally dealt with in my work have all been awful both for the employer and for the employees.
Quote:Unions are not needed any more I don't think. Typically ultra corrupt and have brainwashed members into thinking they are actually working for them.
It's not so much that they have "brainwashed members", though it does happen. They don't really care about their members or their well-being. It's all about the money. I have seen cases where membership is actually told who to vote for (in all cases democrats). Typical members will usually say "OK" to the union reps, then vote the way that they actually feel. The majority of union members that I've talked to tend to vote more conservative (IBEW members).
The rest of your comment I very much agree.
Quote:Well, it was bound to happen... first thing I have read from you that I disagree.
Why is that not surprising?
Quote:It's not so much that they have "brainwashed members", though it does happen. They don't really care about their members or their well-being. It's all about the money. I have seen cases where membership is actually told who to vote for (in all cases democrats). Typical members will usually say "OK" to the union reps, then vote the way that they actually feel. The majority of union members that I've talked to tend to vote more conservative (IBEW members).
The rest of your comment I very much agree.
Why is that not surprising?
I suppose brainwashed is strong. It's definitely that think they have their backs and put their interests first when, in the ones I have dealt with, they do not and are all about lining their pockets.
Quote:lol Despite what some people tihnk about progressives we don't all think the same way about everything.
It's not that in general they are all bad I don't think. It's that the ones I have personally dealt with in my work have all been awful both for the employer and for the employees.
I guess one's experience with unions can certainly affect their view point...
I've worked in the private sector in a right to work state most my life. I've only recently worked for an employer in which I am in a union.
My experience is night and day compared to the time I wasn't in a union. Management can't poop all over you when you're collectively bargaining...
I'm sure there is some level of corruption within my union too. I don't have any allusion to that. But coming from non union jobs and companies, I'm pretty happy with my work environment at the moment...
Quote:It's not so much that they have "brainwashed members", though it does happen. They don't really care about their members or their well-being. It's all about the money. I have seen cases where membership is actually told who to vote for (in all cases democrats). Typical members will usually say "OK" to the union reps, then vote the way that they actually feel. The majority of union members that I've talked to tend to vote more conservative (IBEW members).
The rest of your comment I very much agree.
Why is that not surprising?
Probably cuz you're closed minded and have preconceived notions on things. Lol :-)
I kid, I kid
Unions are still necessary, though they do not always act in the best interest of their workers. (NEA supported common core thanks to big money coming in from the Gates foundation, but have recently backed away from Common Core because of teachers really not liking it)
I get the idea behind a move like this -- gives workers more power to negotiate as a group, rather than having to rely on individual power of negotiation while at the same time not reducing too many jobs. But no company is going to join this agreement if it costs them less to just pay the $15/hour minimum wage. So their workers will ultimately be getting less. Bad move by the union.
Quote:I guess one's experience with unions can certainly affect their view point...
I've worked in the private sector in a right to work state most my life. I've only recently worked for an employer in which I am in a union.
My experience is night and day compared to the time I wasn't in a union. Management can't poop all over you when you're collectively bargaining...
I'm sure there is some level of corruption within my union too. I don't have any allusion to that. But coming from non union jobs and companies, I'm pretty happy with my work environment at the moment...
Here's something for you to ponder for a bit. Perhaps your better work experience is due to the fact that you work for a better company?
I've only worked in a unionized company once in my life, and that was many years ago when I worked at a grocery store. I was a teenager at the time and didn't know what unions were about. I just knew that I "had to join" and that they took my "dues" out of every paycheck.
Since then, after working in the military then working around several contractors, I've heard them talking about their union. Most people hate it, though there are the few that boudreaumw pointed out that are "brainwashed" into thinking that the union actually does something for them.
After my military service, I have worked for a few different companies, and have been able to negotiate my salary and benefits freely. I have always gotten raises and bonuses from employers that were unsolicited and/or unexpected. Looking at pay charts for my occupation/title I actually earn slightly higher than average and significantly higher than those that work in "union shops".
my union just retrieved 40,000 in unpaid wages for me.
Quote:my union just retrieved 40,000 in unpaid wages for me.
Good for you. Care to elaborate on the situation? How much of that $40,000 went towards union dues and how much went towards taxes? Let me guess, "nothing right now". Wait until you do taxes for next year...
This debate goes on at my company all the time...The majority of my company is Union and the rest is company...Why it's that way I have no idea, but it's been that way for nearly 60 years...The debate over what the Union really does for it's people, generally unknown to the workers as I have found by talking and listening to people complain...I hear "All the Union does is take my money and tell me who they want me to vote for." I was one who thought that same thought until a non Union employee became friends...For instance, due to the negotiations and as written into our contract, a Unionized employee pays only 10% of our insurance premium. Our policy has a $2500 deductible which is payed for by the company...My health insurance for me plus my wife and stepson is $34 a week ( family plan for 3+ people). 2 people cost $16 and some change, one person is $13...The company people pay $54 a week for the family plan with a $500 deductible non paid by the company...
Some of the other negotiated things we have is Union employees can only be forced to work overtime 10 times per year, but only on Tuesday's and Thursday's, and only a half hour...Company employees have no limit on forced overtime...We all know that they aren't supposed to be able to force you to work overtime and we all know they do...
Union employees can only be forced to work on Sunday's for time and a half, 4 times per year, any other Sunday's must be payed at double time...If they do not post that we are required to work on Sunday PRIOR to Noon on Thursday, they must pay us at Double time...So no matter what, if we work on a Sunday, we will never be paid less than time and a half for Sunday, even if we don't get forty hours for the week.. Company employees get paid only time and a half if working Sunday puts them over 40 hours...
Union employees get dental and vision insurance for $5 a week,regardless of the number of dependents you have, company employees have no dental and vision insurance..
There are other advantages to being in the Union, like the Union has their own Credit Union we can join, that company people can't, and other negotiated things, but I won't try and remember them all...
Now is a Union good or bad? Greedy and corrupted? No entity does anything other than for their own benefit...My Union is founded by and ran by minorities, and the money they raise is used to support politicians who are either minorities or support legislation for minority programs...
There are only a couple of unions that have any REAL power anymore...United Auto Workers, and possibly the Airlines, other than that Unions are not nearly the same as the Jimmy Hoffa days
I don't care to elaborate but will be more than happy to pay my dues and taxes
There is one thing about the topic of this title and article that I will mention...The labor organizations who have been leading the crusade for higher minimum wages and then want to be exempted from the law are looking for one thing...They are hoping to be exempted from the minimum wage spike so that more employers will use their services and the labor organizations will make even more money...
I don't think that will work...I seriously doubt that if the minimum wage was raised to $15, any group of people (represented by a labor organization) would approve any contract where they made less than minimum wage...I certainly can't see the construction trades agreeing to accept less money per hour than a walmart worker...I doubt any entity would approve any offer that was minim wage other than some retail market companies
I've never been in a line of work where unions are even an option but to me I don't think id be willing to pay a portion of my paycheck for someone to represent me.
That Said I've always thought there's a place or role for private unions but public unions that's just extortion of tax payers. Burns me essentially they're unionized against the tax payers who already pay their salaries.
And I, for one, welcome our new Hippopotami overlords.
Quote:And I, for one, welcome our new Hippopotami overlords.
Beat me to it, but I disagree.
I will not stand for hippos in charge.
Or charging hippos.
Quote:I've never been in a line of work where unions are even an option but to me I don't think id be willing to pay a portion of my paycheck for someone to represent me.
That Said I've always thought there's a place or role for private unions but public unions that's just extortion of tax payers. Burns me essentially they're unionized against the tax payers who already pay their salaries.
I don't know about all unions, but what we pay (once a week) is equal to our hourly wage...If one makes $22.37 per hour, that is his union dues per week...If one makes $13.45 per hour, he pays $13.45 a week Union dues...Union dues is also tax deductible. Some unions have other funds such as strike funds that union employees pay for, but it's a very small percentage...For me, the Union is a good deal...If I had to pay what the company employees pay for health insurance rather than the Union negotiated payment, I would have to cut something somewhere else
Quote:Beat me to it, but I disagree.
I will not stand for hippos in charge.
Or charging hippos.
You mean hippos running at you or hippos plugged into a socket overnight?