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  #11  
Old 03-24-2013, 09:15 AM
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Dondilion Dondilion is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeG22 View Post
Glad to see more union guys current or former. I am actually a water/sewer municipal worker for a local government. We are constantly bashed because ugh god forbid your union and live on tax money. They don't complain when shit is backing up at 3 in the morning but when it comes time to pay, watch out. Our union was tough for us a few years ago when everything seemed to hit the fan. Our contract was over for two years and were at a stalemate in negotiations. The union held their ground despite dumping money on lawyer fees that they knew they would never recover and got us a very acceptable contract.

I am a firm believer in organized labor. I think it is a driving force behind me pulling away from the right. This last election really showed who your ally was if your a union worker.
Welcome Mike.

I am union at heart. But I have come to recognise that a lot of municipalities cannot afford some of the unions. In too many instances the unions become inflexible and myopic.

BTW I am a NY resident.

Last edited by Dondilion; 03-24-2013 at 02:11 PM.
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  #12  
Old 03-24-2013, 10:55 AM
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d-ray657 d-ray657 is offline
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Welcome Mike. Always nice to see a union guy around, but you would also be welcome if you were a staunch capitalist.

My dad was a postal worker and union steward. I was briefly a member of the IBEW. I worked summers at a manufacturing plant that was IBEW represented. I wasn't eligible to join the first summer I worked there. The second week of the second summer I worked there, I went to the union hall to sign and be sworn in. I remember walking into work late and the foreman telling me I was tardy, and I just smiled and told him that I was getting sworn into the union.

Now I am a member of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, and practice labor law in the red state of Kansas. I have started working in Kansas after practicing in Missouri for over 20 years. Despite the redness of Kansas, I am finding out that it is fairly progressive when it comes to the protections afforded to public sector labor unions. I hope that the ability of public sector unions to hang on during the decline in union representation will maintain life in the labor movement - enough life that unions will still be a viable force when private sector workers wake up and realize that collective action is the only way to take on the power of capital.

Regards,

D-Ray
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  #13  
Old 03-24-2013, 11:41 AM
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Dondilion Dondilion is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by d-ray657 View Post
Welcome Mike. Always nice to see a union guy around, but you would also be welcome if you were a staunch capitalist.

My dad was a postal worker and union steward. I was briefly a member of the IBEW. I worked summers at a manufacturing plant that was IBEW represented. I wasn't eligible to join the first summer I worked there. The second week of the second summer I worked there, I went to the union hall to sign and be sworn in. I remember walking into work late and the foreman telling me I was tardy, and I just smiled and told him that I was getting sworn into the union.

Now I am a member of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, and practice labor law in the red state of Kansas. I have started working in Kansas after practicing in Missouri for over 20 years. Despite the redness of Kansas, I am finding out that it is fairly progressive when it comes to the protections afforded to public sector labor unions. I hope that the ability of public sector unions to hang on during the decline in union representation will maintain life in the labor movement - enough life that unions will still be a viable force when private sector workers wake up and realize that collective action is the only way to take on the power of capital.

Regards,

D-Ray
The IBEW is a great union here in the city. Made tremendous effort to train, and educate its members. Also recognised the need to be inclusive, the importance of health care and that its finance should be above board....provided reasonable pension for its members.
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  #14  
Old 03-24-2013, 11:44 AM
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merrylander merrylander is offline
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The real reason why the GOP is out to get unions is not for any money they might give the Dems but because they were so good at getting out the vote.
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  #15  
Old 03-24-2013, 02:05 PM
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MikeG22 MikeG22 is offline
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Absolutely, when the election was nearing we were getting reminder phone calls about Mitt's plan to do away with collective bargaining all the time. I felt betrayed by a party I had more respect for at one time. Christie is the same with his battling of the teachers in Jersey, then boasting about it in his GOP NC opening speech. Patting himself on the back for taking money away from the educators of our children.

Someone mentioned the cost of union labor to municipality. We do not receive the union's prevailing wage, actually about 2/3 of what their flag men make. It is not a huge difference in what we make compared to non union municipal employees. With the way many of these local politicians waste money is one of the right things they can do.
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  #16  
Old 03-24-2013, 03:20 PM
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ebacon ebacon is offline
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Hi Mike,

Welcome to the board.
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  #17  
Old 03-24-2013, 06:39 PM
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Rajoo Rajoo is offline
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Welcome to the forum Mike.
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  #18  
Old 03-25-2013, 12:07 AM
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Zeke Zeke is offline
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Welcome!
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  #19  
Old 03-25-2013, 02:15 AM
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BlueStreak BlueStreak is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dondilion View Post
The IBEW is a great union here in the city. Made tremendous effort to train, and educate its members. Also recognised the need to be inclusive, the importance of health care and that its finance should be above board....provided reasonable pension for its members.
A lesson other unions could stand to learn from. I see this as the greatest failing of the UAW and to a lesser degree the USW. Driving up the cost of labor without doing anything to increase the value of that labor just isn't smart. Especially, in todays global economy.

However, in the non-union jobs I have had, I have also seen little effort in those regards. They seem more intent on squeezing out more volume per employee at a lower cost, without ensuring they are better trained.

That won't work either. All you get is mediocre product produced in larger numbers.
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Last edited by BlueStreak; 03-25-2013 at 03:23 AM.
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  #20  
Old 03-25-2013, 10:31 AM
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piece-itpete piece-itpete is offline
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Howdy Mike.

I saw a fireman driving a Toyota pickup the other day.....

Pete
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