Is union the way to go?

It's just something I've been thinking about. I feel like I can't stand up to management right now. Are loads have become really bad lately and no one cares. Unsafe and illegal.

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Personally I'll never join another union. It's going to depend on the job and the union you're in for you. I work for a company where I can go in the president's office, tell him I feel like the company robbed me and still walk out with a job. I don't like the idea of having to go to a steward and expect them to do my talking for me and I don't like the extra layers of bureaucracy that comes with a union. I don't like my union dues being used to support political causes and candidates that I don't support and your representation will only fight for you if your cause happens to coincide with what they want. They'll sell you down the river for political favors that fatten their own bank accounts and will help keep people who should have been fired years ago employed.

Keep in mind this is only my opinion and my experience as a member of the AFL/CIO for seven years. Your experiences may differ. :)
 
With the exception of my years at Frito Lay, which were very good highly paid years, I have worked mostly Union for the last 28 years. I did not pick any job because it was union or non union. I picked the job for the pay, benefits and working conditions. In my experience I have found that to get paid what I deserve, with benefits and retirement it needs to be a union job. That said, I am damn proud to have been a Teamster for most of those years. Just because I am union does not mean that I can't have a face to face conversation with my employer, should an issue arrise. What it does mean is that if my employer does something outside of the agreement, known as the contract, I have recourse to see that our agreement is followed! Most folks I have met that despise unions, have never worked union and are just running their mouths. Also I am a firm believer that if I am to continue to receive my top pay and benefits, I and my fellow coworkers need to give my employer top productivity every single day!
 
Personally I'll never join another union. It's going to depend on the job and the union you're in for you. I work for a company where I can go in the president's office, tell him I feel like the company robbed me and still walk out with a job. I don't like the idea of having to go to a steward and expect them to do my talking for me and I don't like the extra layers of bureaucracy that comes with a union. I don't like my union dues being used to support political causes and candidates that I don't support and your representation will only fight for you if your cause happens to coincide with what they want. They'll sell you down the river for political favors that fatten their own bank accounts and will help keep people who should have been fired years ago employed.

Keep in mind this is only my opinion and my experience as a member of the AFL/CIO for seven years. Your experiences may differ. :)
With the exception of my years at Frito Lay, which were very good highly paid years, I have worked mostly Union for the last 28 years. I did not pick any job because it was union or non union. I picked the job for the pay, benefits and working conditions. In my experience I have found that to get paid what I deserve, with benefits and retirement it needs to be a union job. That said, I am damn proud to have been a Teamster for most of those years. Just because I am union does not mean that I can't have a face to face conversation with my employer, should an issue arrise. What it does mean is that if my employer does something outside of the agreement, known as the contract, I have recourse to see that our agreement is followed! Most folks I have met that despise unions, have never worked union and are just running their mouths. Also I am a firm believer that if I am to continue to receive my top pay and benefits, I and my fellow coworkers need to give my employer top productivity every single day!
I agree with both of you. My big mouth and bigger balls say go union though. I'm allowed to use both.
 
Personally I'll never join another union. It's going to depend on the job and the union you're in for you. I work for a company where I can go in the president's office, tell him I feel like the company robbed me and still walk out with a job. I don't like the idea of having to go to a steward and expect them to do my talking for me and I don't like the extra layers of bureaucracy that comes with a union. I don't like my union dues being used to support political causes and candidates that I don't support and your representation will only fight for you if your cause happens to coincide with what they want. They'll sell you down the river for political favors that fatten their own bank accounts and will help keep people who should have been fired years ago employed. Keep in mind this is only my opinion and my experience as a member of the AFL/CIO for seven years. Your experiences may differ. :)
I just wanted to dispel some of the things you have said incorrectly in your post. I'm a proud member of the Teamsters Union and I to can go into the Presidents office and discuss any and all issues. I never go to the steward first. I always try to handle any issue I have and if I'm not successful I then discuss the issue with my steward. Sometimes I even find out that I was wrong. My union dues do not go towards any political cause. That is illegal. Dues go towards administration costs. There was a fund established by Jimmy Hoffa wife called D.R.I.V.E and any member can willingly contribute to this fund if they so desire and that money is spent on political candidates. I've always contributed towards it because I figure if the CEO and corporations have a voice in Washington then so should I.
 
I just wanted to dispel some of the things you have said incorrectly in your post. I'm a proud member of the Teamsters Union and I to can go into the Presidents office and discuss any and all issues. I never go to the steward first. I always try to handle any issue I have and if I'm not successful I then discuss the issue with my steward. Sometimes I even find out that I was wrong. My union dues do not go towards any political cause. That is illegal. Dues go towards administration costs. There was a fund established by Jimmy Hoffa wife called D.R.I.V.E and any member can willingly contribute to this fund if they so desire and that money is spent on political candidates. I've always contributed towards it because I figure if the CEO and corporations have a voice in Washington then so should I.

There's a reason I placed disclaimers in my post and specifically said that other experiences may differ. I didn't realize it was so hard to spot.
 
I agree with both of you. My big mouth and bigger balls say go union though. I'm allowed to use both.

I am a Teamster right now and I have also had the luxury of working for some pretty good outfits that were non-Union. Both can work as long as there is an element of respect for labor. With some it comes with the job, other times this respect has to be compelled.

Either way labor is stronger when they are in agreement...Union or not. But like many here have heard me say that if you want to rid a Union of corruption, you may have to replace the corrupt leaders.....That is where you know whether or not you have anyone with balls in your Union. Most hide not wanting to stick their necks out so you get Union leaders that are ate up with the same blind ambition that has infected the corporation. When Union members become as selfish as the Board members? The reason for Unionizing is gone.
 
I didn't want to start a argument. Just wanted an opinion. I would like to find a union job for the pension. But it seems alot of pensions are hurting. I applied at a milk company. Land o lakes milk which is owned by Dean foods. They got a decent pension from what I heard. But the one job I've always wanted ever since I started driving (besides a line haul gig) was driving for Old Dutch potato chips. There union and they got a nice pension. They just had a driver retire after 40 years with the company. Put my application in but didn't get the call but my friend called me today and told me he was offered the job at Old Dutch. But he's not sure if he's going to take it yet. They only have 10 semi drivers. And the next driver isn't retiring for another 6 years so that's a long time at the bottom. I would be all over it. No weekends, good pay and retirement. Drivers are only gone 1 or 2 nights a week. Great job.

There honestly isn't many good union jobs here in MN it seems. There out there but no one is leaving. I found out a warehouse company here in MN has a driver retiring in may. Might throw my app in. But there pension is hurting I guess. Also some union jobs here pay less then some non union jobs so I guess it all depends on what you want.

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I didn't want to start a argument. Just wanted an opinion. I would like to find a union job for the pension. But it seems alot of pensions are hurting. I applied at a milk company. Land o lakes milk which is owned by Dean foods. They got a decent pension from what I heard. But the one job I've always wanted ever since I started driving (besides a line haul gig) was driving for Old Dutch potato chips. There union and they got a nice pension. They just had a driver retire after 40 years with the company. Put my application in but didn't get the call but my friend called me today and told me he was offered the job at Old Dutch. But he's not sure if he's going to take it yet. They only have 10 semi drivers. And the next driver isn't retiring for another 6 years so that's a long time at the bottom. I would be all over it. No weekends, good pay and retirement. Drivers are only gone 1 or 2 nights a week. Great job.

There honestly isn't many good union jobs here in MN it seems. There out there but no one is leaving. I found out a warehouse company here in MN has a driver retiring in may. Might throw my app in. But there pension is hurting I guess. Also some union jobs here pay less then some non union jobs so I guess it all depends on what you want.

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Not ever Union job has a pension either. I'm Union(Teamster) and we have no pension. We have a 401K.
 
I didn't want to start a argument. Just wanted an opinion. I would like to find a union job for the pension. But it seems alot of pensions are hurting. I applied at a milk company. Land o lakes milk which is owned by Dean foods. They got a decent pension from what I heard. But the one job I've always wanted ever since I started driving (besides a line haul gig) was driving for Old Dutch potato chips. There union and they got a nice pension. They just had a driver retire after 40 years with the company. Put my application in but didn't get the call but my friend called me today and told me he was offered the job at Old Dutch. But he's not sure if he's going to take it yet. They only have 10 semi drivers. And the next driver isn't retiring for another 6 years so that's a long time at the bottom. I would be all over it. No weekends, good pay and retirement. Drivers are only gone 1 or 2 nights a week. Great job.

There honestly isn't many good union jobs here in MN it seems. There out there but no one is leaving. I found out a warehouse company here in MN has a driver retiring in may. Might throw my app in. But there pension is hurting I guess. Also some union jobs here pay less then some non union jobs so I guess it all depends on what you want.

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Oh I don't think there is any arguments. To each their own way. I can talk to my boss without getting fired and I am a Teamster. When I was at Farm Fresh Dairy I was non Union and couldn't talk to the boss! I can be a IBOT member and still respect people with different views on Unionism.

I had a season in my career when I tried the start up companies. That season cost me ever being able to retire. I trusted others at their word and now I am paying for it. There is just something about it being in a contract.

I hope you find what you are looking for.
 
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