Collective Bargaining?

FancyBelle

I'm 2 old 2 die young!
Anyone on here actually a member of a union or a collective bargaining unit? Pros/Cons? If the higher eschelong in your company were going to cut your benefits/holidays/salaries, wouldn't you be seeking someone to speak out for you to try to protect those things. When you are hired, you are given a benefits package, but slowly it's being taken away. Some people have already invested 20+ years into that company and they can't take their leave with them if they were to change employees. What's an old lady to do? :whistle:
 
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sanchezf

Little ol' Me
Anyone on here actually a member of a union or a collective bargaining unit? Pros/Cons? If the higher eschelong in your company were going to cut your benefits/holidays/salaries, wouldn't you be seeking someone to speak out for you to try to protect those things. When you are hired, you are give a benefits package but slowly it's being taken away. Some people have already invested 20+ years into that company and they can't take their leave with them if they were to change employees. What's an old lady to do? :whistle:


I would be contacting my union rep immediatly !!
 

GoodnessME

Active Member
That's the thing, at this point, we're not union. We're thinking about it. That's the reason for the question. Your hubby's uncle should be interested too. Same company.

"Thinking about it" at this point may be to late for you to protect what you have. The company can do as it pleases with it's benefit package, unless there is a "contract". Good LUCK.....
 

sanchezf

Little ol' Me
That's the thing, at this point, we're not union. We're thinking about it. That's the reason for the question. Your hubby's uncle should be interested too. Same company.


Oh damn that sucks, I'm not so sure they will help ya'll, I thought it was only for the new people. I would at least see what the had to say and what they could do for me..
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Do you have any idea why the company is reducing benefits? And when you say "can't take their leave with them", do you mean they don't get paid for accrued leave balances when they depart the employ of the company? Sick leave?..vacation?..both?
 

FancyBelle

I'm 2 old 2 die young!
Do you have any idea why the company is reducing benefits? And when you say "can't take their leave with them", do you mean they don't get paid for accrued leave balances when they depart the employ of the company? Sick leave?..vacation?..both?

Reducing benefits of their employees so they can fund other projects. We don't have any say in it. Can't take our sick leave if we leave employ, (it is added to our retirement, but not used to reach retirement) and we'd get pd for our annual, but I have 8 months of leave accrued! Do you know how long it would take me to accrue that somewhere else? I have almost 25 yrs with this company, and they just want to keep cutting because they can, until we take a stand. I would like to hear from someone from employees who are in a union and have someone to do the bargaining for them.
 

ItalianScallion

Harley Rider
I have almost 25 yrs with this company, and they just want to keep cutting because they can, until we take a stand. I would like to hear from someone from employees who are in a union and have someone to do the bargaining for them.
What you might do is contact your congressman. Dems are pro Union. You can look this stuff up online too. I think there is a "card check" program that is allowed in Maryland and, if a certain amount of employees want it, the company cannot forbid the forming of a Union. Unions are getting bad raps today but mine gave me lots of benefits and a full retirement at 48. :yahoo:
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Reducing benefits of their employees so they can fund other projects. We don't have any say in it. Can't take our sick leave if we leave employ, (it is added to our retirement, but not used to reach retirement) and we'd get pd for our annual, but I have 8 months of leave accrued! Do you know how long it would take me to accrue that somewhere else? I have almost 25 yrs with this company, and they just want to keep cutting because they can, until we take a stand. I would like to hear from someone from employees who are in a union and have someone to do the bargaining for them.

As someone who has been one of the management 'bad guys' and a business owner for a long time;

It sounds like you have (or had) incredibly good benefits to start with. Those benefit levels are seldom ever seen any more. I certainly understand why you would be upset to have received them once and see them dwindling..but I also understand you have not much idea where the average benefit package and restrictions actually are these days. Just sayin..

And what employees have a 'say' in the management decisions of the company they work for??

Anyway...its a very odd company that would reduce benefits arbitrarily because its obviously bad for employee morale. It can happen and it has happened..but its lousy business practice and therefore rare enough because of that fact. "To fund other projects' is far too vague for me to get a feel for their real reasons. If their reasons for reducing employee benefits are anything like mine were when I was forced to reduce benefits...it was to try and keep the company barely profitable.... and even alive. Organizing is NEVER going to make a marginally profitable company do anything but simply close their doors.

Good luck with it, however it turns out.
 

PrepH4U

New Member
Reducing benefits of their employees so they can fund other projects. We don't have any say in it. Can't take our sick leave if we leave employ, (it is added to our retirement, but not used to reach retirement) and we'd get pd for our annual, but I have 8 months of leave accrued! Do you know how long it would take me to accrue that somewhere else? I have almost 25 yrs with this company, and they just want to keep cutting because they can, until we take a stand. I would like to hear from someone from employees who are in a union and have someone to do the bargaining for them.

Retirement? Cash out sick leave? You must work for the County, State or Civil Service. I am suprised that they would allow you to accrue over 8 months of leave and then let you cash it out, what a windfall. I am sorry that you are loosing benefits but company's are having a tough time all over. Take the payout of leave and start over, the leave earnings will help tide you over coping with a smaller paycheck at a new company. You will have to start at the bottom of vacation accrual but look at the bright side, if you have saved up 8 months of leave you must not take it that much and 2 weeks starting out would be plenty. :shrug:
 

FancyBelle

I'm 2 old 2 die young!
That's exactly what I was looking for. Some constructive ideas and pros/cons. Thanks got some good tips and thanks for the PM's too.
 
I say I'm worth what I earn and don't need any one to represent me. If my employer wasn't offering the compensation package they are, I'd be working some place else. I'm worth it, someone will be willing to pay it; regardless of the economy.

If that was true, you'd be somewhere else, making more money, getting better benefits, not paying union dues and getting paid what you're worth.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
If that was true, you'd be somewhere else, making more money, getting better benefits, not paying union dues and getting paid what you're worth.

I didn't follow that logic. Approximately 85% (maybe more now) of all private-sector jobs are non-union. All of my employees are non-union, always have been and always will be, going back 25 years now. Competition for skilled labor has always assured that they are paid what they are worth and that they receive competitive benefit packages. I have to compete for employees with other companies that want to hire the same people. Unfortunately, economic pressures have forced companies like mine to cut costs, eliminating or severely curtailing wage increases and reducing or modifying benefit packages.

Where in that world would the presence of a union improve anything?
 

toppick08

New Member
I didn't follow that logic. Approximately 85% (maybe more now) of all private-sector jobs are non-union. All of my employees are non-union, always have been and always will be, going back 25 years now. Competition for skilled labor has always assured that they are paid what they are worth and that they receive competitive benefit packages. I have to compete for employees with other companies that want to hire the same people. Unfortunately, economic pressures have forced companies like mine to cut costs, eliminating or severely curtailing wage increases and reducing or modifying benefit packages.

Where in that world would the presence of a union improve anything?

:yay:
 
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