UAW On Strike

[Rookie]

It seems like union shops tend to have a much more antagonistic relationship between management and workers.

I think a lot of that is from the media. For the most part, everyone in both sides gets along in our plant. 25 years and there's only one supervisor that I make my mission to ruin his day. That's because he's a disrespectful idiot.

 

[actaeon277]

I remember when we were switching portable carbon monoxide detector to a different type, plantwide.

So, because of the cost, instead of staggering the change over, they decided they would give the BOP shop just the communal ones.
That people would check out for specific jobs.
But the crane operators were designated to be monitored.
And the wall units were too big for the crane pulpit.

So, they sent me up to get the old units, and NOT REPLACE them with anything.
I told each operator I'D call safety committee and the union right away.
Before I got back to my shop, the head of the building was calling me asking what was going on.
I told him I was directed to collect them by the "man in charge" of the program.
He called that guy.
That guy told him just to use the communal ones.
But the new monitors had to be calibrated every shift.
And the calibration station, was on the other side of the building from the cranes.
A very LARGE building.
So, it was added to my job to go on the cranes the beginning of each shift to bring them back, calibrate, and then bring back to the crane.
So, I made sure, EVERY job at the beginning of the day had bosses calling him complaining their guy was stuck doing stupid work instead of his (mine) job.
And, they said this would continue till they determined if we needed the monitors, even though Plant Rules said we did.
So, I called that guy EVERY DAY.
Eventually, my boss called me in to talk to me.
I asked if I was supposed to stop calling.
The boss grinned, and said, NO! I love what you're doing.
But, you have to stop calling him, and putting the phone on the radio for 10 minutes.
He can't delete till the end of the message and he's getting mad.
Well, that was my intention.

Eventually, they determined we did in fact need the monitors.
And a cal station was installed in the room the crane operators passed by on the way to the crane, so they could cal them themselves.

I knew, as long as it was MY problem, it would last forever.
But if I made it THEIR problem, it would get solved.

 

[actaeon277]

FYI, that story was because management was against management, but I had to fight the fight, because they had to follow the contract with me. A manager just gets shown the door.

 

[1775usmarine]

Just be glad none of you work for the railroad.

 

[bobzilla]

I have some customers that are getting angry that we can't get gm and mopar parts. Explain to me how that makes someone want to buy those brands again.

Same boat.

 

[bobzilla]

Maybe a body shop would do better if they only did kia and hyundai?

And why do you have to be a dick? I’m trying to extend an olive branch and you **** all over it. I get it. You’re a union boy through and through and no one not in a union is good enough. Got it. Just stop being a dick.

 

[Creedmoor]

Oh the Irony.

 

[bobzilla]

Oh the Irony.

You I've given up on. You refuse to have any form of vested conversation and prefer to look down your nose. Nothing I can do about that but shake my head and move on.

 

[pmbiker]

Y'all shouldn't paint with such a broad brush.

I only **** on the walls when I'm off the clock.

 

[Hookeye]

Yeah, no pension here. Was salaried non union for about two decades.

Theres good and bad to most things.

I dont trust anybody or any group. And as such, think folks should fight for every dime they can get.

Also think the current UAW stuff may be poor optics, but thats just politics and when the dust settles it will be reasonable.

No sense falling for the hype.

 

[yeti rider]

I'm asking a legit question, because I don't the answer. How much are union dues for the typical auto worker that is on strike right now?

 

[Creedmoor]

I'm asking a legit question, because I don't the answer. How much are union dues for the typical auto worker that is on strike right now?

My understanding is, Union Dues are two hours pay per month for full time members.

 

[jamil]

I agree.
But when you look at some of the conditions that caused the unions to form in many of these places...

Then again, I've had managers happy when the union pushed a safety issue, because they (the managers) were being ignored by their bosses.
Had instances with brand new low level managers trying to show everyone who is in charge.
And when the grievance meeting happens, and the mid level manager finds out what happened, it gets thrown out.. by management, that was only aware of the problem because of the union.


Don't get me wrong, I hated a lot of the union stuff. Especially the us/them stuff.
But there's no way I'd have worked where I did without it.


I still remember being told by a manager, that I didn't need fall protection, if I DIDN'T FALL.
And to GET UP THERE RIGHT NOW!@!! OR ELSE!!!!".

Not many companies truly value their employees. It's just business and bottom lines. So workers will get screwed. There's always going to be a tension between management and labor in that kind of environment. So yeah, I do think the idea of unions is good. The devil is in the details.

Balance is needed, so that neither has the upper hand. I don't think we have that now in many industries.

ETA: I think union members need to pick the right enemies. The supervisor on the line is just trying to do his job, asside from personal quirks. He's a nobody in the grand scheme of things. The Union's beef is with the corporate executives who hand the policies down.

 

[KLB]

I agree.
But when you look at some of the conditions that caused the unions to form in many of these places...

Then again, I've had managers happy when the union pushed a safety issue, because they (the managers) were being ignored by their bosses.
Had instances with brand new low level managers trying to show everyone who is in charge.
And when the grievance meeting happens, and the mid level manager finds out what happened, it gets thrown out.. by management, that was only aware of the problem because of the union.


Don't get me wrong, I hated a lot of the union stuff. Especially the us/them stuff.
But there's no way I'd have worked where I did without it.


I still remember being told by a manager, that I didn't need fall protection, if I DIDN'T FALL.
And to GET UP THERE RIGHT NOW!@!! OR ELSE!!!!".

That blows me away. If a manager tried that with my company, he'd promptly be fired. The employee would be expected to ignore him and go over his head and report it.

 

[jamil]

I think a lot of that is from the media. For the most part, everyone in both sides gets along in our plant. 25 years and there's only one supervisor that I make my mission to ruin his day. That's because he's a disrespectful idiot.

I've been on both sides, a union hoe and non-exempt salaried. At the lower levels of management I'd say many union and non-union employees work through the day without much conflict. If you know how to get along you get along with people. But there are also a lot of union hoes that eat, breathe, and **** union. For them it's on every day.

 

[pmbiker]

My understanding is, Union Dues are two hours pay per month for full time members.

2.5

.....and just in case you need to hear it.....

NOBODY expects a 32 hour work week. NOBODY expects a 40% pay raise. It's not reasonable to expect pensions for 07+ hires. Those are the issues that get media attention because that's what the media does, remember? It's more about jobs viability and manpower requirements as the company shifts from ice to ev.....oh and pooping on the walls.

 

[bwframe]

It's catching...

 

[Creedmoor]

It's catching...

View attachment 303333

Im hearing rumours that loads of Indiana temps are gonna get layed off.

 

[Hookeye]

Have been on this rock for a while and seen good and bad in many professions.

Have also seen some folks fare better than others (GM/Delphi). Maybe not just, but is what it is.
Good for those that came out OK.

IMHO there's nothing to be jealous about.

 

[KLB]

Not many companies truly value their employees. It's just business and bottom lines. So workers will get screwed. There's always going to be a tension between management and labor in that kind of environment. So yeah, I do think the idea of unions is good. The devil is in the details.

Balance is needed, so that neither has the upper hand. I don't think we have that now in many industries.

ETA: I think union members need to pick the right enemies. The supervisor on the line is just trying to do his job, asside from personal quirks. He's a nobody in the grand scheme of things. The Union's beef is with the corporate executives who hand the policies down.

I don't know that I buy that. If it is true, why aren't there more people in unions instead of less?