Have you ever been a member of a union?

[odanny]

I was not in the union but was on a union job so had to work under their rules. I ran about 400' of electrical conduit the first day. The IBEW guy came by and freaked the hell out. I was only allowed to do 100' per day. They made me sit there for three more days, eight hours until the conduit was accounted for.

Finally got that out of the way and got back to work. Needed a chunk of 2x4 for a brace so went and grabbed one from the garbage pile and screwed it in to place. Here came the fucking framing guy all wigged out. I had to remove the block, make a formal request for one and wait 4 damn hours for a framer to come out in a damn block.

They had union porta toilets and non union ones. With a guard checking union cards. Ridiculous.

I had a few more run ins but the job was finally ending and these union idiots come around trying to get me to join. Since I already made the same or more why would I subject myself to that shit? I told them I would never join a union. What a joke.

That's a cute story. Too bad it wasn't true.

Sadly it's all true. And your reaction is what I've come to expect from people like you.

None of it was true, it was all bullshit.

 

[Indeependent]

After a 35-year career in IT, I joined a union when I changed careers two years ago.

The union dues pay all legal expenses in case of civil or criminal prosecution so it's worth the cost.

No legal issues here, but my career was Off-Shored and Business Visa'd.
If I could go back in time I would never work in the "Free Market" again.
All of my friends are paying the price.

 

[Missouri_Mike]

I was not in the union but was on a union job so had to work under their rules. I ran about 400' of electrical conduit the first day. The IBEW guy came by and freaked the hell out. I was only allowed to do 100' per day. They made me sit there for three more days, eight hours until the conduit was accounted for.

Finally got that out of the way and got back to work. Needed a chunk of 2x4 for a brace so went and grabbed one from the garbage pile and screwed it in to place. Here came the fucking framing guy all wigged out. I had to remove the block, make a formal request for one and wait 4 damn hours for a framer to come out in a damn block.

They had union porta toilets and non union ones. With a guard checking union cards. Ridiculous.

I had a few more run ins but the job was finally ending and these union idiots come around trying to get me to join. Since I already made the same or more why would I subject myself to that shit? I told them I would never join a union. What a joke.

That's a cute story. Too bad it wasn't true.

Sadly it's all true. And your reaction is what I've come to expect from people like you.

None of it was true, it was all bullshit.

Spent your whole life being a union slacker huh?

 

[odanny]

I was not in the union but was on a union job so had to work under their rules. I ran about 400' of electrical conduit the first day. The IBEW guy came by and freaked the hell out. I was only allowed to do 100' per day. They made me sit there for three more days, eight hours until the conduit was accounted for.

Finally got that out of the way and got back to work. Needed a chunk of 2x4 for a brace so went and grabbed one from the garbage pile and screwed it in to place. Here came the fucking framing guy all wigged out. I had to remove the block, make a formal request for one and wait 4 damn hours for a framer to come out in a damn block.

They had union porta toilets and non union ones. With a guard checking union cards. Ridiculous.

I had a few more run ins but the job was finally ending and these union idiots come around trying to get me to join. Since I already made the same or more why would I subject myself to that shit? I told them I would never join a union. What a joke.

That's a cute story. Too bad it wasn't true.

Sadly it's all true. And your reaction is what I've come to expect from people like you.

None of it was true, it was all bullshit.

Spent your whole life being a union slacker huh?

I've spent 20 years in a union, and they do have their problems. But stories like yours are told by people who couldn't handle being in one, people like yourself.

 

[Darkwind]

Yes.

 

[Missouri_Mike]

I was not in the union but was on a union job so had to work under their rules. I ran about 400' of electrical conduit the first day. The IBEW guy came by and freaked the hell out. I was only allowed to do 100' per day. They made me sit there for three more days, eight hours until the conduit was accounted for.

Finally got that out of the way and got back to work. Needed a chunk of 2x4 for a brace so went and grabbed one from the garbage pile and screwed it in to place. Here came the fucking framing guy all wigged out. I had to remove the block, make a formal request for one and wait 4 damn hours for a framer to come out in a damn block.

They had union porta toilets and non union ones. With a guard checking union cards. Ridiculous.

I had a few more run ins but the job was finally ending and these union idiots come around trying to get me to join. Since I already made the same or more why would I subject myself to that shit? I told them I would never join a union. What a joke.

That's a cute story. Too bad it wasn't true.

Sadly it's all true. And your reaction is what I've come to expect from people like you.

None of it was true, it was all bullshit.

Spent your whole life being a union slacker huh?

I've spent 20 years in a union, and they do have their problems. But stories like yours are told by people who couldn't handle being in one, people like yourself.

If you actually read the post you would have known I wasn't in one. And after that I never would work for one either.

 

[Jackson]

Yes, was a rep but I am against closed shops.

 

[odanny]

That's a cute story. Too bad it wasn't true.

Sadly it's all true. And your reaction is what I've come to expect from people like you.

None of it was true, it was all bullshit.

Spent your whole life being a union slacker huh?

I've spent 20 years in a union, and they do have their problems. But stories like yours are told by people who couldn't handle being in one, people like yourself.

If you actually read the post you would have known I wasn't in one. And after that I never would work for one either.

I did read it, I confused you with bear513, my mistake.

As someone who has spent over 20 years in a union, I am not staunchly pro-union, because many of today's unions need revision. The problem with unions is they have failed to adapt to the changing times. Union leadership is still living in the 1970's, and it is not the 1970's anymore. Even though I have benefited greatly from this union I have seen the side of it that allows deadbeats to keep their job, that allows cancerous employees to keep from getting fired, and while I have seen more than one person fired recently (three in total) only one was for performance related issues, and that person wasn't dismissed permanently until he was fired a fourth time. Until union leadership changes I won't be an advocate for the union, I will tell you that.

 

[Crixus]

I think this would be an interesting poll to ask this forum.

Nope. No union would dare come into my job. Out turnover is as high or higher then commercial truck driving. I am indifferent towards them.

 

[debbiedowner]

I think this would be an interesting poll to ask this forum.

Title: Have you ever been a member of union? Poll: Are you a member of
an union?

So I have been and haven't been for 35 years.

 

[Missouri_Mike]

Sadly it's all true. And your reaction is what I've come to expect from people like you.

None of it was true, it was all bullshit.

Spent your whole life being a union slacker huh?

I've spent 20 years in a union, and they do have their problems. But stories like yours are told by people who couldn't handle being in one, people like yourself.

If you actually read the post you would have known I wasn't in one. And after that I never would work for one either.

I did read it, I confused you with bear513, my mistake.

As someone who has spent over 20 years in a union, I am not staunchly pro-union, because many of today's unions need revision. The problem with unions is they have failed to adapt to the changing times. Union leadership is still living in the 1970's, and it is not the 1970's anymore. Even though I have benefited greatly from this union I have seen the side of it that allows deadbeats to keep their job, that allows cancerous employees to keep from getting fired, and while I have seen more than one person fired recently (three in total) only one was for performance related issues, and that person wasn't dismissed permanently until he was fired a fourth time. Until union leadership changes I won't be an advocate for the union, I will tell you that.

No problem. It happens.

That's what turned me off way back in '84. It was more like a bunch of people looking to save their jobs rather than just doing it. Oh and making it drag out as long as possible. I didn't even get into the tools we weren't allowed to use. The whole thing was ridiculous. In the span of a three month job they turned me off for life I never did see anything beneficial.

 

[Nosmo King]

Two, both when I was much younger on summer jobs. Hospital Workers Union, when I was an orderly in a nursing home and the Teamsters Union, when I was a Good Humor man.

BTW, the post subject and questionnaire don't match up. The subjects asks "have you been a member", while the poll asks "are you a member". I answered yes based on the subject, though I no longer am.

I have a similar circumstance. I was a member of the AF of M, the musician's union and the USW, United Steel Workers, on a summer job at a local stainless plant. I paid USW dues, but I don't think I was technically a member.

But my professional career included twenty years with a couple of Engineering firms, a professional training company for a few years and fifteen years of work in the public sector and that was non-union.