Wow... I posted this in 2007...

My 16 year old son will be fired in seven days unless he agrees to pay for union representation. This is the the very same union that has secured for him a minimum wage job with NO BENEFITS. His employer pays him the legal minimum required by law. For my son, the value of union representation is easily calculated; It's a negative $238.50 and $36/month.

The courtesy clerks have enjoyed union representation for more than 20 years. In that time they have secured a labor contract for minimum wage. In other words, it would be illegal for them to pay my son less than he earns now.

Look at the union's letterhead; "One vision - one voice - one union!" What a joke.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1180056227.jpg

Anyway... My son was fired because he refused to pay.

So work for negative money or don't have a job huh? Yeah union is the way to go, gota comply with the graft

What a load of BS. If you were honest you would have written, "it's just awful when hard workers have to work for the same pay as lazy people". But if you see hard work and achievement as brown nosing, I'm wasting my time.

As a 30yr union member and former rep, I'll be the first to admit unions have shot their load. Although they are a few rare examples where they still are needed. but in the long run they have done more damage then good.

True, but even more so for unions for government workers. These should be illegal. They collect dues and then use the dues to elect politicians who will give them better benefits and pay, all on our dime!

This thread is a near-perfect argument FOR unions.

Union allows Chicago suburb POLICE to work HALF DRUNK Cheers

Many Suburban Cops Allowed To Work "Half Drunk" | NBC Chicago

All of the above. That way a legitimate, hard worker can be removed from unemployment to replace this slacker.

I retired in aug. HR was basically not accessible for employees, unless you had a sex discrimination issue otherwise all complaints handled via the union and our contract.

Unions COULD do a lot of good. Insuring workplace safety, minimizing employer exploitation of the workforce, and most of all, making good on their claim of providing skilled, motivated workers. I would welcome a union if it guaranteed the skill and output of my union employees. A lot of union activity is petty nonsense designed to make the union look like it's doing something ie. that rebate for lunches brought from home rule that the Wisconsin teachers union passed.

People just have to have someone to hate. Throughout our history, it has always been OK hate this etnic group or that nationality, etc. Thankfully, the ethnic haters have been shamed into hiding.
"But what about the queers", they say. "Can we all agree to hate the queers?"
No, junior, that's not gonna fly either.

But there is still one group that is OK to publicly hate, disparage and proclaim yourself to superior to, the lowly Union worker. Yes, feel free to publicly hate your friendly local school teacher, firefighter, policeman, gov worker, factory or construction worker for the despicable crime of merely trying to put food on his or her table. AMERICA!

Let's try a little experiment here, shall we? Let's substitute the words "white people" for the word Union in the above quotes. Keep in my mind, these are the words of the people quoted above, just with a different group being the target.

No advice but I detest white people. Nothing more than extortion and a safety net for under performing workers.
We have no place for them in today's economy

(White people are) crooks making a quasi-legal living off the rank and file. they should be tased!

I hope I never find myself somewhere with white people or having to work with white people. I'm sure they aren't all bad, but it seems like it breeds shoddy work ethics.

White people are corrupt.


I felt like the goal of the white people was to get people to do as little work as possible and to keep me from moving up in the company and getting a raise.


So sick and tired of seeing (white) parasites that are slowly killing their hosts.
I hire blacks every chance I can get.

Not only whites, but their members totally drunk their cool aide

Whites are the reason steel failed in this country and moved overseas

If people only knew what is happening at the Shipping Ports on the West Coast with white people. You would totally disgusted.

Protecting some slacker half wit white person does not add to the profitability of any company or organization.

I'll be the first to admit white people have shot their load. Although they are a few rare examples where they still are needed. but in the long run they have done more damage then good.

True, but even more so for white people for government workers. These should be illegal. They collect dues and then use the dues to elect politicians who will give them better benefits and pay, all on our dime!

white people allow Chicago suburb POLICE to work HALF DRUNK Cheers

Not very pretty is it?

Kill Whitey

We show them that being lazy and feeding off of someone else's productivity gets you nothing. Without the union, many workers would have a wake up call and take their next job more seriously. As an example, I know of many (white in case you want to know) people who didn't seriously look for a job until all their extended unemployment benifits came close to running out (a few years back when the govt kept extending benefits over and over). Human nature to do what ever is the least required. No accountability = no effort.

OK. Enlighten us as to why???

Wow, from Unions to Raaaaaaacism. Did you read the amount, and the letter?

Had the price for Union representation made it so the kid can actually get paid for his work the outcome might have been different.

Next time, we'll just ship you the bill and YOU can pay it if it's such a great thing...

rjp

Unfortunately Randy, this has become a discussion about philosophy of union value rather than logic. Ask someone to pay a month's worth of dues to have the privilege to work there and then charge them 20% of their take home to stay there is extortion. This is not about benefits. Its a kid's first part time job. They didn't get him the job nor will he ever get any benefit from the union. If the business said you have to work for free for a month to have the job people would be crying foul.
Unions are a sacred cow to the bleeding heart liberals. Big bad business man will take advantage of poor oppressed person. Well it sure seems like the exact opposite here!

You're a fireman, right? Is it unreasonable to assume that firemen need better access to health care that may be lacking without union representation?

After taxes and those silly dues the kid takes home what, $4 an hour?

LOL. Right there with working in Mexico.

Part of my wife's job back then had some dealings with them. to say the least, disgusting. We want to compete in the world level, but how the hell are we to compete with people like Singapor, Hong Kong, and Korea? They kick our asses with one hand tie behind their backs.

Going along with Randy here. Unions and a discussion about them is one thing but to make it a racist issue is well beyond the bounds of a constructive conversation. I for one will have no further part of it and especially when it involves someone who has bellied up to the bar for the all you can drink Kool-Aid special.
You are pro union and I (as well as most others) are not and that is where my part of this will end.

Moses, how does your kid see unions now?

(that letter has all the warmth, charm and welcome as a parking ticket)