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Dying for work
- Thread starter CoorsLight
- Start date
Do you think union benefits tend to be better then non union?
The pension thing is cool because they take care of it for you and you know where your money is going. I also don’t think I’m at the age yet where I can responsibly put my money somewhere and know how to get a proper return. Maybe I just haven’t looked into it far enough. The problem I have with something like calpers or liuna In my case is if they go bankrupt there goes all my hard earned money haha.
Also things such as work clothes, boot allowance, meal reimbursement, and all the other good stuff.
My last couple non union jobs barley provided me with the shit I needed. My new job with the city gives me 250 for work boots every 6 months vs old job gave me 45. I get a shit load of clothes and other perks with city gym access etc. A lot of people are anti union, but I’m glad I have someone backing me. It really puts a barrier between management and us. They know they can’t treat you like shit and get away with it.
What’s your line of work?
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I'm a branch service manager in the diesel engine repair industry.
I've honestly yet to work anywhere non-union as a tech or a manger that has required staff to pay for their own uniforms out of their pocket. I never would've worked for them if they did and I certainly wouldn't work in a management role for a company that did that. We also give annual footwear stipends to cover the cost of replacing boots once a year which is more than fair. If you need to do it more often than that, you're buying cheap footwear or you're doing something stupid.
I was union when I was a tech and left for a non-union position at another company. I've been non-union ever since. Again, if you honestly feel that you need a union to stick their neck out for you, then stay with unions. The reality is, at least in my industry, it's not needed but historically has been present so some shops tend to stick with it. However, more and more are voting the unions out. Techs are tired of seeing shitty mechanics get promoted just because they've hung around long enough. Merit should be the reason for promotion, not just longevity. Just because you've been around longer doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing.
Good companies will always take care of their people. It doesn't take a union to make that happen. It just takes the right type of management team that has a decent moral compass. If I treat my guys like shit, they'll leave. When they leave, we don't make money and then everyone loses their job. Why would I want that?
As far as your retirement goes, you can likely pay a financial planner to do the work for you if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. I was part of the IAMAW and I honestly never felt like they gave a shit about anything but getting more and more dues and coming up with excuses for why we were never getting pay increases but the dues were going up. It was a total clusterfuck waste of time and the shop I was at eventually voted them out after I left.
ruckus430
New member
No I work for a South Bay city. I am working on getting some clean water certificates so I can get into sfpuc. That’s my main goal. Congrats on getting in. It’s a tough process to get any city job so kudos to you
Def read over your mou contract and talk to Human Resources as well as your peers. Different people know different helpful tips
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Climber
Well-known member
Not all Unions are good, the Richmond cit workers get sold out by their union rep, she just takes their money and screws them.
Mike95060
Work In Progress
^ we could riff on that "not all unions are not created equal" idea a bit. I do believe that Unions should work real damn hard through apprenticeships and continual education to provide a superior worker. Charge a premium price for your labor I expect you to provide a superior product.
I'm sure someone can chime in with stories of how lazy union workers who can't be fired have killed an industry. In my perfect world a union work force makes a company more competitive and profitable. Not less so. That is an almost impossible goal in a globalized world where labor can be farmed out for pennies and all the environmental protections we enjoy can be ignored overseas.
I'm sure someone can chime in with stories of how lazy union workers who can't be fired have killed an industry. In my perfect world a union work force makes a company more competitive and profitable. Not less so. That is an almost impossible goal in a globalized world where labor can be farmed out for pennies and all the environmental protections we enjoy can be ignored overseas.
Lmao where should I start..... first off I used to work for local 2 hotel and restaurant workers. That was the biggest joke of a Union I’ve been apart of. After wrongfully being accused of stealing and Human Resources fabricating a
Bizarre story trying to link me with a crime I would never even commit or think to commit. The workers that had been there 20+ years ran the hotel. I could go on and on about how these guys wouldn’t do shit unless it involved money... “that’s not my job, that’s not in my union, I’m not required to do that”. How about just doing it because it doesn’t require more then 2 mins of work and it gives you something to do you lazy fuck..
Fast forward to my new job. I came in as an apprentice and the guys above me have been here for 15-20 years haven’t got any certs to better themselves or to move up to that next level. I’ve came in busting my ass, trying to prove to my superiors that I’m not talk and I’m really here to learn and take what it is needed to progress my career and make money!! Isn’t that why people come to work? To make as much money as they can and learn as much as possible? That is not the case a lot of these guys get to a point of leadership because they have no one else to promote or people try to make a point and promote the wrong people. I just stick to myself and continue to grind and prove to the right people I’m about it!! It blows my fucking mind that then these people try to bring you down when they see you trying to make something of your life.. why you mad bro?? You have had all these years to make something of your life and get some
certs to take yourself to the next level and you haven’t? Why are you trying to bring me down and ruin what I’m working towards.
So yeah there is a lot of that shit in unions but honestly there are a lot of guys who don’t do shit and are lazy as fuck and you see why they are so miserable and have a hard on to ruin everyone’s day. I don’t let it effect me anymore, it has the exact opposite effect now it makes me want to work harder especially with a child on the way.
I think non union jobs are this way to a certain degree but it way easier to let them go and far less protected. Unless they are brown nosing management.
I also agree with what you said about union work costing so much and expecting a lot for the money you’re paying. If you want shitty lazy work hire the guys from Home Depot for 10 an hour and not spend 100+ an hour.
HappyHighwayman
It's all in the reflexes
In some jobs, like mine, there is no room for advancement and raises are rare. There's zero upside to working harder than needed other than for "pride" of which I have none.
JesasaurusRex
On a break
Y not?
SFSV650
The Slowest Sprotbike™
That's public sector my friend.
Private sector no one gets the brass ring but there's a new Porsche in the company lot.
Cycle61
What the shit is this...
I assume you have a boss? Is advancement to their position not a career option?