Careful, this is a mindless rant.

mikester · 08-18-2004, 03:08 PM

Okay, first and formost this a rant - I just need to blow a little steam off from work and you guys are good for that right? I hope so.

Anyway; so the deal is I just started a job with a School District and while the job part of it is fine - all the B$ I have had to deal with has really gotten to me today.

First thing that happened was when I was hired - having never worked for the man before - I was never told anything about possibly being in a Union. At the time my position was new and thus had no classification - it was high enough to possibly be "Managment" and thus not union but I was finally classified this month as "Supervisory" and assigned to my local Teamsters union. F'ing great - I'm a teamster. Nothing against anyone who is - I'm a liberal and do believe Unions have a place but I do not believe they have on in my life and if I had known from the get go I was going to be in a Union I would have turned the job down flat. Unfortunately I didn't find out it was even on the horizon until a month in and then I was told I 'would likely be classified as management.' Clearly that didn't happen - now I'm in a Union, paying dues and I only get 10 days vacation instead of 24 a year.

Next - I have a parking issue - a minor thing really - upon exit of the garage the District contracts out for overflow parking the front of my 911 scrapes pretty bad - doesn't matter the angle - I can't get out without scraping. It pisses me off - There is a garage in the building and next to it but because of seniority and space there is no way for me to get into it without either lying about a disability or everyone in my department who is above me dying. My boss is pretty supportive but there doesn't seem to be much he can do - I'm the only one who's had the problem. Others have had the problem of their cars (SUV) being too tall and they get moved to the other garages if they fit but for me - I get squat. I'm not looking for any special treatment it's just the fact is my car can't safely get out of the lot.

There are good things, the job is much less demanding of my time in general so I have a more full home life which is a huge plus. I'm not on call anymore which is also a plus but that could change. I've started back to school to finish my BS but once that is done I'm likely out. Seriously, working with some of these folk is really really hard. They just aren't that bright or creative and don't seem to have the ability to think or reason through a problem. My Boss is reasonable enough on most things and very supportive with my educational goals and also supportive of expanding my experience in the job. Very good things...but....today I'm still pissed off.

Rant complete - thanks for shopping at "whack-a-mole."

turbo6bar · 08-18-2004, 03:40 PM

You're gonna have to try harder if you want to post a "mindless" rant. Sounds like lots of legitimate beef. Why do you only get 10 days vacation? Is it because you're in a Union, or because you're not labeled "management?" If Union boys get less vacation, it sounds like a pretty lousy Union to me.

jurgen

mikester · 08-18-2004, 03:47 PM

Union boys get less time than management in this shop. I don't even have the option to opt out. At the time I was interviewing for this position I was also interviewing for a Cal-State University @ Northridge job - they told me upfront that it was a Union position but if I cared to I could opt out (but still pay the dues whatever logic that makes).

Personally I thought two tiered benefits systems were illegal...

Moneyguy1 · 08-19-2004, 01:22 AM

Well, for starters, as a union guy, you will get paid for overtime. Management can be worked at the pleasure of whoever is in charge. The laws are getting even worse for this.....

RickM · RickM's Garage

This was an interesting comment:

"I'm a liberal and do believe Unions have a place but I do not believe they have on(e) in my life"

Why not in your life?

mikester · 06:06 AM

QUOTE]Originally posted by Moneyguy1
Well, for starters, as a union guy, you will get paid for overtime. Management can be worked at the pleasure of whoever is in charge. The laws are getting even worse for this..... [/QUOTE]

While I do have the option to be paid for overtime I rarely am required to do so. I would much rather have 24 days paid vacation than to get paid for the odd hour of overtime.

Quote:

Originally posted by RickM
This was an interesting comment:

"I'm a liberal and do believe Unions have a place but I do not believe they have on(e) in my life"

Why not in your life?

Because that I feel that my skills and experience are valuable enough to take the power I have in controlling my own work environment - even if it means we can't come to a happy medium. I do not believe that I need a controlling body to negotiate my benefits and salary to the point that a Union does. I would rather my employer have the choice to either negotiate with me or I leave. As it stands now - I get paid more than my coworker who is the "Second in command" in our department. He's only second in command because he's been with the district for 15 years (not to discount the fact that he's smart as hell and a really anomaly at the district too) but other than that - there's no other reason.

With my current level of anger at being in a union I’m having a little trouble recalling my rational for their existence.

notfarnow · 08-19-2004, 07:53 AM

ugh. union stuff. I'm generally pro-union, but am caught in the middle of a 4 month long strike. Got lucky about 9 months ago and got a new "management" position, so at least I'm working. Just sucks to be working my friends' jobs, and to be working 60 + hrs a week. Also sucked to have my car and boat spray painted with "Paid with Scab OT". Especially when they were bought a year ago with union wages. Anyhoo...
Unions are great when they are protecting your interests, not so great when they drag you out on strike from a job you like in the name of "solidarity"... as has happened to many of my friends.

cmccuist · 08-19-2004, 09:31 AM

I was a teamster when i was in college. I moved furniture for Global Van Lines. The problem I have with unions is that I made the same wage as the guys that had been there 20 years. They drove the trucks and took care of the paperwork and had all the responsibility, but we all got the same wage.

There wasn't any incentive to excell other than taking pride in your work. Once you were high up on the seniority list, even if you didn't work as hard as those lower on the list, you were the one called to work. There was no high wage for high producers and low wage (or no wage!) for worthless types.

mikester · 08-19-2004, 12:05 PM

Well, from what I understand most of the management of my Local teamsters has been let go for curruption and other charges.

I would rather my chances on my own than in Union hands - I don't trust them and that's the crux.

RickM · RickM's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by mikester
QUOTE

With my current level of anger at being in a union I’m having a little trouble recalling my rational for their existence.

I understand

notfarnow · 08-19-2004, 01:23 PM

union fun

tabs · 02:52 PM

Hmmmm...The Teamster Union seemed to do pretty well by my cousins wife....she was employed by the Teamsters as a Secratary...she got to do things a regular ole secratary or for that matter most people never get to do ....she got to meet Bobby kennedy and take the 5th Admendment while testifying before Congress. It seems Bobby Kennedy and her boss hated each other, some people even think that her boss had something to do with Bobbys brothers death in Dallas., but you all know all about that. After her Boss went away for bribing a juror, she became the legal secratary for a Union offical by the name of Russel Buffalino. The Union in graitude for faithfull service gave her a 6 figure retirement gift and she collects 2 Union pensions one from the local and the other from the international. She now lives quietly in Florida and when asked about those days she says she was just a secratary and doesn't know anything but what she has read in the newspaper.

Vipergrün · 08-19-2004, 06:11 PM

Welcome to the good life. You will never have to work another hard day in your life. You can never get fired, you'll get regular and mandatory raises, and if you REALLY screw up, you'll get a promotion.

Eric 951 · 08-20-2004, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bb80sc
Welcome to the good life. You will never have to work another hard day in your life. You can never get fired, you'll get regular and mandatory raises, and if you REALLY screw up, you'll get a promotion.

Too funny--too bad it is true.

oh, and if you have a relative in a position of authority--it is a cakewalk the rest of your life.