(02-28-2012 10:33 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I have never worked or had a family member that was part of a Union (in the past 40 years). What is the point of them in today's world?

a 40 hour work week
holidays off
overtime for work done for more than 40 hours a week

These are just a few employee protections you would never have without unions. Companies now more than ever are out to screw their employees anyway they can. Unions are one of the few tools that the average person has to get a fair shake.

(02-28-2012 02:51 PM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 12:08 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 11:29 AM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 10:33 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I have never worked or had a family member that was part of a Union (in the past 40 years). What is the point of them in today's world?

To ensure that I have to sneak around when I work at certain venues since I did not join their club.

No. It is to keep YOUR wages as a non-union member up. I kind of hope that all unions are eliminated. It will make people like you realize WHY they are important. When your wages drop, you may come to understand why they are important. Having said that, unions do need an overhaul and make them less about the union bosses but more about the people they serve.

Market price for unskilled labor (union and non union) should be set by demand and the availability of it, not by what a group says they should get paid for it. Being a garbage man is not a job that takes skill to do and it does not need a union to protect it's employees.

Your "free" market would pay employees 1 cent an hour if they could get away with it. Without unions there is little to no middle class to buy the consumer products that companies manufacture which would lead to even fewer jobs being created.

(02-28-2012 06:50 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 04:02 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 03:59 PM)klake87 Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 03:57 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 12:08 PM)RobertN Wrote:  No. It is to keep YOUR wages as a non-union member up. I kind of hope that all unions are eliminated. It will make people like you realize WHY they are important. When your wages drop, you may come to understand why they are important. Having said that, unions do need an overhaul and make them less about the union bosses but more about the people they serve.

I work in industry/manufacturing why would my wage decrease without Unions?

damn you, do you really want people to be paid what they are worth for their skills?

Updated my post after you replied

I want bad workers to be fired easily.
I do not want good workers to get fired because they do not have seniority over a bad worker.

I also don't think it's right that a union can say "you didn't join our club, so you can't work here." That is pretty damn un-American if you ask me.

If you want the benefits of working in a Union shop(40 hr workweek, paid holidays, employer paid health insurance, OT for hours worked plus 40) you have to support the organization that bargained and fought for those benefits. Otherwise you'd have the same labor situation that exists in China. 100 hr work weeks, no environmental regulation and $hit wages.

(02-29-2012 02:20 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 01:25 PM)BobL Wrote:  

(02-26-2012 04:37 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  It is a valuable service and is mandated by the constitution. I think they can get it to run more efficiently and it sounds like that is what it is trying to do. I have no problem with tax dollars supporting the USPS a bit as long as everything is being run correctly.

The Constitution empowers congress to establish "post offices and post roads". The USPS itself is not mandated by the Constitution nor is there anything about the actual services to be provided.

The USPS is outdated and must be overhauled. There is NO need for mail delivery 6 days a week. Mail delivery should be reduced to 3 days/week, M-W-F. Post offices should remain open 5 days/week.

Lots of people receive their medications through the mail from mail order pharmacies. Sat mail service is definitely needed.

Yep and I am one of them..still see no need.

Our government has established work place rules. We have a minimum wage. We have OT requirements. We have breaks/lunch/work rules. We have OSHA. We will never go back to the working conditions of the late 1800s. If someone wants to do a job, and is capable, for less money, they should be allowed and hired. I still laugh that our government workers need unions.

(02-29-2012 08:55 AM)klake87 Wrote:  Our government has established work place rules. We have a minimum wage. We have OT requirements. We have breaks/lunch/work rules. We have OSHA. We will never go back to the working conditions of the late 1800s. If someone wants to do a job, and is capable, for less money, they should be allowed and hired. I still laugh that our government workers need unions.

So I am clear...you want government to limit(if not eliminate) a persons constitutional right to assemble a group in order to secure living wages and benefits.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

(02-29-2012 09:20 AM)BobL Wrote:  

(02-29-2012 08:55 AM)klake87 Wrote:  Our government has established work place rules. We have a minimum wage. We have OT requirements. We have breaks/lunch/work rules. We have OSHA. We will never go back to the working conditions of the late 1800s. If someone wants to do a job, and is capable, for less money, they should be allowed and hired. I still laugh that our government workers need unions.

So I am clear...you want government to limit(if not eliminate) a persons constitutional right to assemble a group in order to secure living wages and benefits.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Unions bully people into joining they are required to pay union dues. You should have the choice to work at any occupation and for any company and not be required to join the union. Only union contractors can perform state road construction projects. A non union contractor can't get that work. The constitution did not create unions.

(02-29-2012 02:24 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  

(02-28-2012 10:33 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I have never worked or had a family member that was part of a Union (in the past 40 years). What is the point of them in today's world?

a 40 hour work week
holidays off
overtime for work done for more than 40 hours a week

These are just a few employee protections you would never have without unions. Companies now more than ever are out to screw their employees anyway they can. Unions are one of the few tools that the average person has to get a fair shake.

My industry (Union and non-Union employees) does not follow the first two.

I agree these are great rules but they have been in place for 40+ years...what is the point of a Union today?

(02-29-2012 02:27 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  Your "free" market would pay employees 1 cent an hour if they could get away with it. Without unions there is little to no middle class to buy the consumer products that companies manufacture which would lead to even fewer jobs being created.

If everyone got paid $.01 an hr then everything would cost much less too BECAUSE people couldn't afford the higher prices.

(02-29-2012 08:43 AM)BobL Wrote:  

(02-29-2012 02:20 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  Lots of people receive their medications through the mail from mail order pharmacies. Sat mail service is definitely needed.

Yep and I am one of them..still see no need.

What is wrong with having the order ship 3 days earlier?