Labor Disputes.........

BadCo · Nov 17, 2010

Are unions a thing of the past?

The grocery stores here are poised to lock out their workers who have not had a contract since March.

From what I have read on the message boards(you know comment on this article)they are all for the most part,part time under employed employees.

IMO they do not need a union for part time employee's as it is a step up from a fast food job.

Of course this used to be a career job but seems each contract the owners have taken so much away that it is a fly by night job.

Just like the football millionaires........do the need union?

FairWarning · Nov 17, 2010

They probably do, but the stores cannot compete with a Wal-Mart if the workers are union.

DwayneBowe · Nov 17, 2010

Well you can look at it in two ways

If you are not in a union, and have an accident at work, you will probably be worse off than someone who is in the union.
The union also fights for your rights as workers and for your wage increase.
Unions are not as powerful, but do a lot of good for the worker.

on the other hand a quote from new york times

"However I do not support the modern incarnation of unions. They are nothing but a government sanctioned cartel of criminals designed to shake down businesses with no concern for its members. A union would rather put a company out of business and their members out of jobs than to not get their tithes."

Football millionaires do not need a union. However, they should look out for themselves and their better good..

and the whole thing with lockouts and such..that's another story.

FairWarning · Nov 17, 2010

Dwayne Bowe said:
Well you can look at it in two ways

If you are not in a union, and have an accident at work, you will probably be worse off than someone who is in the union.
The union also fights for your rights as workers and for your wage increase.
Unions are not as powerful, but do a lot of good for the worker.

I totally disagree with this. You have an accident at work, the state labor laws apply. Unions protect the worst workers.

DwayneBowe · Nov 17, 2010

FairWarning said:
I totally disagree with this. You have an accident at work, the state labor laws apply. Unions protect the worst workers.

Okay so they do sometimes protect the lazy...but Unions are very important. They protect workers from malicious companies or supervisors. Everything is a democracy and done by vote. Even to strike there has to be a 75% consensus of the entire membership.

BUT im not for unions by the way. Just stating the facts.

DwayneBowe · Nov 17, 2010

basic worker's rights laws would not be strengthened without unions. also if you want a good read look at "Leviathans-Multinational Corporations and the New Global History"

"Look at the resistance to paying legal workers more than $7 an hour to build houses in the freezing weather, and claiming that no one is available to do the work. Why don't we let temporary "guest" workers fill in the empty seats of CEO's who justify their ridiculous salaries as due to scarcity of "talent". Unskilled labor makes less real salary now than in 1973, despite a 33% increase in real productivity. CEO compensation has risen 27% each year since then, with an inverse relationship between profitability and CEO compensation."

BadCo · Nov 17, 2010

One guy made a good comment.

He said these 7 million dollar a year CEO's who are suppose to have a business degree should figure out why in a depressed economy depress their workers even more.

They are taking advantage of the down economy by starving their employees.

Why not give them a raise and even a signing bonus and stimulate the local economy and advertise that they did this and the shoppers will feel good about them.

And they are putting the screws on the independent stores who will have to pay their employees the same raise via sweetheart.

So they are spreading good will and still being sneaky and playing dirty pool which is the CEO's way of life..........LOL

TomGshotput · Nov 17, 2010

Unions are simply workers negotiating as a single unit rather than individuals. They are not needed, but they are usually in the best interest of the workers, so they unionize. I struggle to understand why more workers choose not to so

celticGreen+ · Nov 17, 2010

Unions are useful for moving wages towards a living wage as opposed to the minimum wage. It's a disgrace that we have people who work 40-60 hours per week and still live in poverty due to highs cost of living, and the joke that is minimum wage.

FairWarning · Nov 17, 2010

celticGreen said:
Unions are useful for moving wages towards a living wage as opposed to the minimum wage. It's a disgrace that we have people who work 40-60 hours per week and still live in poverty due to highs cost of living, and the joke that is minimum wage.

Why should a person get a living wage for an unskilled job that anyone can perform? Lets face it, there are not many jobs in a grocery store that need training.

TomGshotput · Nov 17, 2010

FairWarning said:
Why should a person get a living wage for an unskilled job that anyone can perform? Lets face it, there are not many jobs in a grocery store that need training.

If someone can't earn a livable wage from a job, they'll be better off just not working. They won't have any money either way, but by not working, they at least have time. So the only way to fill the position is to pay more than an unlivable wage

Obviously the world is not that perfectly simple, but it shows that unions asking for better compensation is just the free market at work

celticGreen+ · Nov 17, 2010

FairWarning said:
Why should a person get a living wage for an unskilled job that anyone can perform? Lets face it, there are not many jobs in a grocery store that need training.

You pay people a living wage for the betterment of society, it's not just for the betterment of the individual you're paying.

Also, can you operate a cash register and ring $10,000+ in sales without making mistakes, butcher meat, scale/skin fish, or even operate a deli slicer?

celticGreen+ · Nov 17, 2010

why work a minimum wage job when I can sell drugs, make more money & have more time off?

VIEJODINOSAUR · Nov 17, 2010

If it wasn't for bad management, there would be no reason for unions...

DarkStar · Nov 17, 2010

I've been in the laborers union in NJ for 20 years and its pretty sad whats going on now.I' ve worked my ass off for a decent wage and have 3 shoulder surgeries to show for it.For all you guys that think that union jobs or union people are not needed you are trully clueless.Come to work with me for a day and pour 400 yards of concrete 30 stories up in the freezing cold or in 100 degrees of heat and you will have a new appreciation of union building trades workers.

We built this city/country...God bless union people

VIEJODINOSAUR · Nov 17, 2010

Thanks to unions, my daughter being born cost me zero cash....1983

C.P. · Nov 17, 2010

when I was 17yrs of age...(many ,yrs ago)..

I had the privilege of being a Cement Mason.w/ the Union..

back then the Union was as STRONG as could be...made a GOOD DOLLAR @ that time

finished more concrete than I'd like to admit in 10yrs....away..after that

I decided to make $$$ w/o busting my stones...hence what I do now..

I'm an Arbitrator....... Unions v. Companies...

I won't get into certain issues, but ....I've seen GOOD agruments for both sides on some things...

both have a right to coexist.....w/o..abuse of power on EITHER SIDE...

They both have a right to bring their case foward...knowing full well...

My decision is FINAL....

just my .02

Pick-N-Win · Nov 18, 2010

International Brotherhood Of Teamsters for 20 years and no regrets

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