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>>> <KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com> 12/04/02 12:10PM >>>
>Would somebody please tell me about situations where
>somebody can be a member of a union and derive ANY
>net benefit from it (after paying dues, etc.) when
>you work at a company that is not itself unionized?
You don't derive any benefit forming a union of one. I'm sorry if my previous post gave that impression. I believe I pointed out that the union and employers have to come to an agreement before any benefit can be achieved. Though you'll have a real easy time getting the majority vote to organize. :^)
I said:
Then both sides are bound to what's been agreed upon. Don't forget that along with that higher salary unions negotiate, comes the expectation that the workers will be more highly qualified, if not the best qualified candidates for the jobs.
And then Kevin said:
>That's not the funniest thing I've ever heard, but
>it's right up there. "Unionized = best qualified"??
>WAAAAAaaaaaahahahahahahaha omigod, my sides hurt... :-)
I'm sorry that your exprience with unions has been so negative. I've had nothing but positive experiences with unions, including the one I was compelled to join for a job in a closed shop.
And as for Unionized=best qualified, as other have already pointed out, electrician, pipefitter and carpenter unions have some of the most stringent aprentecship programs around.
IMPE, I was a member of the Elevator Constructors union (the full name escapes me at the moment). I followed my father into the business. The ECU requires yearly tests and training to ensure that the people fixing and installing the elevators and escalators we all take for granted, have the highest level of knowledge and technical proficiency regarding the equipment.
There are levels of proficeincy and specialized testing for specialized jobs. I was never required to test as I didn't plan on making a career out of elevators (summer college job for me).
You got X months on the job without dues, Y without testing. After Y, you either tested or got out. I did see more than one person relieved of responsibility, by the union, when they failed to pass the union evaluation. Non-skilled, new people where only employed after all union-tested workers. That is if company X lays off a tested union worker, and company Y had an non-union untested employee on the books. Company Y was obligated to let the unskilled worker go and hire the union-tested employee, and yes that happened to me too, I was bumped off when a company lost a construction contract. This policy was what the elevator companies had agreed to, and to get them to agree to it, the union carries out a rigid training and evaluation program.
Now that I've restoked the fires of this disagreement. I'm not advocating that we as technical writers should organize and buckle down for a big fight with management. I realize that one member locals would be silly. Also as, we've covered in detail here, most of the unions pointed to as effective examples of Union=most qulified are blue-collar unions. I'm not even sure you could apply the same model to a white-collar setting. I was just trying to set the facts straight.
1. One can not be fired for organizing, talking about organizing or recruiting others to organize.
2. Organizing doesn't always mean better or increased benefits.
3. Unions exist to barter better employees for better and increased benefits.
The theory and practice my differ, but then corruption exists in every system.
-Greg
neart - misneach - diongbháilteacht
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