Waterfoul

Some of you may know that the UAW is trying to push it's way into Johnson Controls one plant at a time. I personally am anti-UAW in my case (I realy don't feel they do much good for tier one or two suppliers).

My question is this: Anyone have good comments about the UAW?? I have been in many car plants and (sorry, don't mean to offend anyone) was never impressed with the work force when you compare it to where I work. I have been in several tier one and two supplers who are UAW and I wouldn't work there.

I believe job security is a myth where the union is concerned. My company never lays anyone off that doesn't deserve it (we jokingly call it "Cleaning House" when they do let people go... you can pick out the people that will not be back before they leave!). Very few hourly workers have ever gotten layed off permanently. Bosch here in Grand Rapids went out of business one year after voting in the UAW. Delphi closed one of it's only non-union plants right after the workers there voted in the UAW.

My company already pays a very fair wage when compared to other companies in our area. Many people are convinced they will get a raise if they vote in the UAW. In all the other JCI plants to ratify contracts, they got a raise all right, just enough to cover their union dues each month.

Is there any reason to let them into my company? All I can see or think of is negative.

If you don't want to voice your opinion here on the open forum, please pm me or send me an email.

Mike

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

I'll make 1 post on this topic as it usually is a touchy subject. I worked in a union plant for 11 yrs, but I am about as ANTI union as you can get. It has since been relocated to Mexico, thanks to NAFTA. I've seen WAY too many people keep their jobs that can't count thier balls twice and come up with the same number, while the hard working people have to be let go all because of seniority. Job performance is not an issue, seniority is. Once a member, it is hard to fire them. If you are a slacker, yet want job security, go union. Plain and simple. Every time the contract vote comes up, you will not decide if you want to accept the conditions of the proposed contract, the majority will. So if the terms satisfy you, yet over 1/2 of the members don't like it, guess what, you go on strike. And it always seems that a lot of people always feel they are getting screwed over, so they always vote strike. For the most part, you won't even think about it. Only during contract talks and rough times will it become an issue. My personnel beliefs are that unions were needed back in the beginning, but thier time is over. I prefer that my future be in my hands and in my control.
Peace Out.

robyw1

This may be considered side-stepping the issue here but I have lost jobs because of my refusal to team up. I was raised with the philosophy that I need to control my own compensation, benefits, etc. Without mentioning any names I have had acts of violence towards me for crossing the line refusing to strike over working conditions. This was during a difficult time in my life when I needed to work and was thankful to be doing so. I didn’t want to play their games over what I considered such petty little complaints. Over the years of following that conservative philosophy of my upbringing, I began to see my hard work and education (much of which was actually provided by my company) began to reward me. My relationship with most union co-workers was not a good one. I found them to very content on not doing anything to better improve their lives. There were so many of them who could care less about the quality of their work as time went on. These were the people who woke up pissed off at anyone who had one penny more than they did. It didn’t matter that there were younger, smarter people that could work circles around them. The union worker was always the one who stayed on the job because of their stronghold. I have even seen then turn down an opportunity of FREE skills training offered to them by the company just because it would take place in off-work hours. Now you tell me, what kind of a freakin idiot turns down a FREE education of any kind? Not me! To get right to the point I feel like I have a pretty good career right now. It came from being recognized as a hard worker who always took advantage of an opportunity for self improvement. If unions taught me anything it is the ability easily to spot the habits of bad worker before they have a chance to cause problems. Now I realize that this is a touchy subject and for that reason I refused to name the companies or the large and local union chapters I have been involved with. Now I’m not saying that all union workers are this way but the ones I dealt with were. You can see why I have a stereotypical view and I really don’t care if it offends anyone

Mike to answer your question, I wouldn’t let them in. Granted I have signed the back of the paychecks for most of my life, but I can’t in anyway see how it could benefit the one who signs the front.

Just my 2 cents worth, keep the change
Roby

rainmn

I hate to even get started on how I feel about unions, so I am trying hard not to. I just typed up a very long post and deleted it. I'll leave it at this - I work in telecom, and we have union employees. I sincerely wish we didn't, and so do the majority of our customers. They remember the service they got before we were purchased by another company, and back then our techs were not union. These guys would bend over backwards to make customers happy. The union guys couldn't care less...just as long as they get a paycheck, that's all that matters.
I was one of those techs, and changed jobs when we were bought to avoid the union. I now make far more than the top of the union pay scale, even with the overtime those guys average, plus I work from home.
See - I deleted a long post and went and typed another one. I could go on forever on this one. Unions have far outlived the pupose they once served.
Don't do it 'Foul.

fred

I am a supervisor in a union plant and there are some good points that were spoke of in the posts above......thats all I'm saying......other than your plant probably is better off as it is right now.....and I wish I could "clean house" on a few individuals......Fred

Iggy

Florida is a "right to work" state. Everybody has a right to work whether it's a union shop or not. Which means, if a shop is unionized the employees can choose whether to join or not. Every employee, union member or not, is covered under the negotiated contract. The only difference is that the non paying member doesn't have all the representation afforded to a full paying member.

I feel that if a company treats it's employees fairly and with respect a union isn't necessary.

I worked in a shop in Manasquan, NJ that wasn't unionized at first. We were self organized with a majority voted representitive.
Then one time, during our annual payscale negotiations, the new president of our division called us "a bunch of unskilled labor that could be replaced at any time".
Boy, did that piss us off. The next day we had a wildcat walkout. We all clocked in then walked right back out the door and sat in the parking lot. The division president tried to force us back to work with threats, which didn't work. The board of directors found out what was going on and they ordered the idiot to give us what we want or he'd be out. They also payed us for the whole day.
Four months later we were unionized.

Vyper340

Ditto US1! Unions had a very useful nature in the early 20th century but have outlived their charter during the last part of the century. The US is now competing on a global level for everything and most of the countries that have the ability to "eat our lunch" do not have unions and have unbelievably low pay rates. From my standpoint it's pretty simple; if we cannot compete globally whether it be in quality, quantity, and price we will lose! If unions could see that inevitable conclusion then the "good ones" would work more closely with their companies to ensure that they all succeed.

otis311

I have been President of our local union for the International Association Of Firefighters for 8 years. Myself and others in the department founded our charter after constintly getting beat up by management and being treated unfairly, and seeing favoratizim within for raises and promotion. It has worked well for us in our situation. Work conditions,pay, and over quality of life have been improved by our involvement and affiliation with the Union.

I would also state that each situation is different. Ours worked well and Our Union is set up well with each local having say and its own governing body to make individual rules and disicions within and we do have a say (vote) on all issues within the whole International Union. In our case it was united we stand, divided we fall. The power of one voice can be unbelievable !!!!


Bob

ofshore

That's a pretty hard question to answer, i could probably write a book on the pros and cons I've seen. I work for a tier 1 supplier too, we are non-union but The vast majority of the people we work with are union as well as a lot of my friends, being from SE Michigan. I know of one company in the area that went out of business because of the union and another that got bought out and cut their employees wages & benefits to get them in line with the negotiated union benefits of their parent company (I quit there about 6 years ago and still have friends there). On the other hand my friends that work directly for the auto factories get decent pay and benefits for what their doing. One friend got laid-off, but part of their contract (the last contract) said the company had to place them at another facility so he sat around for 2 years collecting 95% of his pay waiting for them to find him another position at a different plant, he wasn't complaining about the union. Not a bad deal for the employees but hard on the factory. So I don't know if it good or bad, I guess it depends on the contract your reps negotiate with the company just becoming union doesn't guarantee anything for the workers except union dues.

Eternal Warrior

I'll add my $.02 here. My mother in-law has been a member of the UAW for 19 years and I can tell you she would have been much better off without it.