Non union labor reform

[ricrivera]

I'm anti-union but I work for a company that routinely bends us over and gives us the metophorical shaft. I'm tired of being exploited but they will continue to take advantage of the high unemployment rate knowing that they can do whatever they want while still maintaining a low turnover. We can't negotiate a raise, we only get two days off a month now, but even before i would only get four. Does anyone agree that their should be a law protecting employees from predatory employment practices that are little more then slavery, excpecially since my only other option would be to quit.

One good example of the reform is a ban on mandatory over-time. It would force companies to offer their own incentives for coming in after the original forty hour agreement, not just over-time pay(which I would PAY just to get a weekend off)

To answer your stupid questions

1. No I can't get another job.
2 I can't get another job because I'm lucky to have this one (or unlucky to have been tricked into it by free health care)
3. Missing days leads to getting fired and the days alotted are the equal to those who only ever work 40 hours a week. 10 points a year 40 hrs a week.= 10 points a year 48-56 hrs a week. Not fair.

 

[bucs90]

A few questions.....

First, what type of job do you do? Police officers are sometimes forced to work overtime, non-voluntary, due to special events, disasters (floods, hurricanes, etc). For them, it's only mandatory that they be paid.

Are you salary? PUBLIC college football coaches, like the ones at the U of Alabama, UCLA, etc, and even local public colleges like "Appalachian State" often work 90+ hours a week with no overtime. A salaried employee is paid to do a job, not hourly. The coaches at UCLA get paid the same for a 90 hour "in season" work week as they do a 30 hours April "off season" week. If you are salaried, thats part of the deal.

If you are being treated unfairly, the Department of Labor exists for just that. My friend works at a fire dept where they contacted the Dept of Labor, and they actually made the FD change some of their practices. Made the changes and it didn't require a union to do so, just let Dept of Labor know.


But without knowing more, it's hard to comment on your post. For the record though.......requiring hard work, dedication and excellence is NOT an unfair work environment.

 

[ricrivera]

The job is paid hourly I work in a canning facility, yes over-time is a given but what if i don't want the overtime? When taking an hourly job you know it's 40 hours a week, most places it's just 40 hours. The reason we are working 6 and 7 days a week is poor management, and the employees have no say in the matter.

I am a very hard worker and expect the best out of myself, but its hard when your always tired and you hate your job because you never get away from it.

 

[Charles_Main]

Sounds to me like you should go back to school and get a better job. One should not expect to much out of what amounts to an unskilled labor job. You are treated like crap, because anyone can do your job. If you don't like it, they could replace you in a heart beat with any slob off the street. You want better treatment then you need to offer something that is not so easy to come by.

Just my 2 cents, I know it sucks but that is the way it is. Now of course they could unionize your place, and force the company to pay far more money for Unskilled labor, but then of course they would just move the plant to Mexico.

 

[ricrivera]

That's the thing, why aren't there any labor laws protecting employees, all the laws on the book protect the employers even OSHA laws were designed to favor the employer more then the employee.

 

[bucs90]

That's the thing, why aren't there any labor laws protecting employees, all the laws on the book protect the employers even OSHA laws were designed to favor the employer more then the employee.

There are laws on the books. Look into it at the Dept of Labor website. Your employer is supposed to post that info somewhere also, usually on the side of a low-visibiliy closet it seems.

But hourly jobs suck, especially one like you describe. I'll offer the example I see locally....most cops are paid an hourly wage. $15-20 an hour. But technically, still hourly, and they get overtime. BUT they must work the schedule they are given. Some get 2 weekends off...per YEAR.

The same can be said of many jobs. Theme parks for example. They are open on weekends. Grocery stores, fast food places. They can give you the schedule you get. 6 hour shift..6 days a week with enough lunch breaks to make it 40 hours? They can do it.

Now what if the Dept of Labor passed a law saying a store can only make you work 5 days a week? What about the other 2? What if they are open 7 days a week? Well, then you have to make some people work every weekend, and they won't think it's fair. You'll end up with full time workers doing M-F, with a part time weekend staff. Which some places do.

The other poster above had it right. Go to school, get an education. Move above that entry level, low skill job you have. It sucks. But we've all been there. I bagged groceries through school, and even worked at a crappy car wash after college and a day care...just b/c I hadn't found the right job yet. It sucks, but it's a learning experience.

But the Dept of Labor has worker protection laws, just research it. If your employer is in violation, contat DOL.

 

[JFK_USA]

You're fucked. Republicans are taking away your worker rights every day. You know the only way to stop them.

 

[bucs90]

You're fucked. Republicans are taking away your worker rights every day. You know the only way to stop them.

What rights exactly?

I know Obama is trying to take away the right of South Carolinians to work for Boeing...by trying to use government force to dictate where Boeing can operate.

But lets talk about "workers rights". Do you believe a "worker" has the basic "right to work"? Just the pure, simple right to apply to, accept and perform a job? Does that right exist sir?

 

[DaGoose]

You're fucked. Republicans are taking away your worker rights every day. You know the only way to stop them.

What rights exactly?

I know Obama is trying to take away the right of South Carolinians to work for Boeing...by trying to use government force to dictate where Boeing can operate.

But lets talk about "workers rights". Do you believe a "worker" has the basic "right to work"? Just the pure, simple right to apply to, accept and perform a job? Does that right exist sir?

Can you explain to me where they do not have the "simple right to apply to, accept and perform a job"?

.

 

[DaGoose]

That's the thing, why aren't there any labor laws protecting employees, all the laws on the book protect the employers even OSHA laws were designed to favor the employer more then the employee.

I understand you're "anti-union" but you should ask yourself just how much worse your job would be if the DOL and OSHA didn't have laws protecting workers rights. I'm referring to overtime for anything over 40 hours and basic working conditions. Things like minimum wage, age and gender discrimination, child labor, pension funding, whistle blower etc. Unions were instrumental in getting those things passed.

OSHA is designed to protect the workers. It governs safety in the workplace. Can you provide an example how OSHA favors the employer over the employee?

Yes, the economy does favor the employer right now. They can pretty much treat their workers as bad as they like (within the law) given the unemployment rate. I agree with others that if you can go back to school, do so.

.

 

[bripat9643]

I'm anti-union but I work for a company that routinely bends us over and gives us the metophorical shaft. I'm tired of being exploited but they will continue to take advantage of the high unemployment rate knowing that they can do whatever they want while still maintaining a low turnover. We can't negotiate a raise, we only get two days off a month now, but even before i would only get four. Does anyone agree that their should be a law protecting employees from predatory employment practices that are little more then slavery, excpecially since my only other option would be to quit.

One good example of the reform is a ban on mandatory over-time. It would force companies to offer their own incentives for coming in after the original forty hour agreement, not just over-time pay(which I would PAY just to get a weekend off)

To answer your stupid questions

1. No I can't get another job.
2 I can't get another job because I'm lucky to have this one (or unlucky to have been tricked into it by free health care)
3. Missing days leads to getting fired and the days alotted are the equal to those who only ever work 40 hours a week. 10 points a year 40 hrs a week.= 10 points a year 48-56 hrs a week. Not fair.

Let me get this straight: You're getting free healthcare and overtime pay, but you're whining because they insist that you work overtime?

I've got news for you, chump: many people would be happy to work all the overtime they could get.

 

[editec]

Forcing people to work more than 40 hours ought to be illegal.

Why does businessess often do that?

Because the cost of hiring and keeping an additional employee costs more than forcing existing workers to do the overtime.

As to what ric can do about it?

Not a damned thing without a union backing him.

His is a fairly good example of why unions are a necessary and good part of a modern industrialized society.

His example is an excellent exanmple of why corporate tools hate unions, too.

 

[initforme]

IF I were you I would be outta there ASAP. SOunds like the work environment is bad and the relationship between workers and owners is adversarial...made this way all by the management.

 

[Mr Natural]

Sounds like you people need to organize.

Oh, that's right, you're anti-union.

Oh well.

 

[VaYank5150]

The job is paid hourly I work in a canning facility, yes over-time is a given but what if i don't want the overtime? When taking an hourly job you know it's 40 hours a week, most places it's just 40 hours. The reason we are working 6 and 7 days a week is poor management, and the employees have no say in the matter.

I am a very hard worker and expect the best out of myself, but its hard when your always tired and you hate your job because you never get away from it.

A very hard worker who whines a lot. If you don't want the job, quit. I am certain if McDonald's can hire 50,000 burger flippers in a day, your employer will easily find someone to replace you.

 

[editec]

The job is paid hourly I work in a canning facility, yes over-time is a given but what if i don't want the overtime? When taking an hourly job you know it's 40 hours a week, most places it's just 40 hours. The reason we are working 6 and 7 days a week is poor management, and the employees have no say in the matter.

I am a very hard worker and expect the best out of myself, but its hard when your always tired and you hate your job because you never get away from it.

A very hard worker who whines a lot. If you don't want the job, quit. I am certain if McDonald's can hire 50,000 burger flippers in a day, your employer will easily find someone to replace you.

And the above response is a fairly good example of why our society is falling apart, too.

 

[initforme]

Dont EVER quit fighting for more. The minute you do, they will start reversing everything on you. It's a struggle. The company basically is hating its workers. Not a good situation. Dont kill yourself for them. SLow and steady work always wins the race.

 

[VaYank5150]

The job is paid hourly I work in a canning facility, yes over-time is a given but what if i don't want the overtime? When taking an hourly job you know it's 40 hours a week, most places it's just 40 hours. The reason we are working 6 and 7 days a week is poor management, and the employees have no say in the matter.

I am a very hard worker and expect the best out of myself, but its hard when your always tired and you hate your job because you never get away from it.

A very hard worker who whines a lot. If you don't want the job, quit. I am certain if McDonald's can hire 50,000 burger flippers in a day, your employer will easily find someone to replace you.

And the above response is a fairly good example of why our society is falling apart, too.

Please elaborate.

 

[VaYank5150]

Dont EVER quit fighting for more. The minute you do, they will start reversing everything on you. It's a struggle. The company basically is hating its workers. Not a good situation. Dont kill yourself for them. SLow and steady work always wins the race.[/QUOTE]

Says the union employee....

 

[initforme]

Oh lets all go out and work ourselves into a frenzy to help our employers...right? Go out and bust it every day. I worked for 31 years for a company. I worked hard. I gave up alot for them. Now they have gone under. My prayers were answered.