Working during plant strike

[09CTSV]

I've been in a union environment since I retired from the Navy in 2004. The last job the hourly were United Steel Workers, current job they are Teamsters. During the 18 years at the last place we always made preps for a work stoppage as contract talks moved along. They never went on strike, came close a couple times.

The Teamsters contract was up October 1. They delayed a day to discuss with their members and then gave the company notice at 6 PM on October 2nd that they would be out on strike effective 6:30 that night.

The majority of our maintenance is contractors so just managing that isn't too bad. I had to farm out a few of my team to help on the operations side and a couple more are doing some work which the hourly did in maintenance to keep the plant running.

Going through the picket line can be interesting. I know most of the people and usually get a smile and a wave as I go thru. I drove the Hellcat Friday and had a couple of the folks chat it up as I went thru the line.

No one wins in a strike, the company side is working longer hours and doing tasks they haven't done in a long time or not at all. Overall we are actually running pretty good. When it comes time to shutdown and Lock Out for maintenance will be the big test.

[KenHorse]

I've been in a union environment since I retired from the Navy in 2004. The last job the hourly were United Steel Workers, current job they are Teamsters. During the 18 years at the last place we always made preps for a work stoppage as contract talks moved along. They never went on strike, came close a couple times.

The Teamsters contract was up October 1. They delayed a day to discuss with their members and then gave the company notice at 6 PM on October 2nd that they would be out on strike effective 6:30 that night.

The majority of our maintenance is contractors so just managing that isn't too bad. I had to farm out a few of my team to help on the operations side and a couple more are doing some work which the hourly did in maintenance to keep the plant running.

Going through the picket line can be interesting. I know most of the people and usually get a smile and a wave as I go thru. I drove the Hellcat Friday and had a couple of the folks chat it up as I went thru the line.

No one wins in a strike, the company side is working longer hours and doing tasks they haven't done in a long time or not at all. Overall we are actually running pretty good. When it comes time to shutdown and Lock Out for maintenance will be the big test.

Scab!!

[jw38]

**** unions!

[markids77]

Scab!!
Asshole. To the OP...
Good on you for keeping on. I bet your co workers already earn a "living" wage same as you do. Applying pressure to management simply because it is possible seems counterproductive in the long run.
Our combined household income never exceeded 6 figures before I retired... yet we own this house free and clear, both cars are paid for; we have zero credit card debt and a quite healthy bank balance.

All that is required to end up where we are is a lifelong commitment to live well within our means, and save for the future. Learn to say no to frivolity, suppress the desire to keep up with the Joneses. Greed is never appropriate in a business environment so man up; negotiate a decent raise and go to work.

[Unsuspicious]

There isn't much of a line sometimes between union actions and domestic terrorism.

[slewfoot]

Leave the Hellcat home, take an Uber. :island14:

[slewfoot]

I don't know jack about unions other than what I see on the news.

My wife got full retirement as an educator working 34 years. Now there is a union but is not overly supported by the teachers and membership is optional.

She was a member in her younger days but not for most of her career. I can understand the point of unions and can have employee benefits with exceptions.

Since my wife made good money due to tenure, every year or so when there was a negotiated wage increase, contributions increased also such as healthcare and other areas leaving her net raise of no real value.

Seems those dockworkers could be the same thing? 62% raise? How much of that are they really going to see?

Ball players, some kid gets a $10 mil contract. Well, he has an agent to pay, taxes, healthcare retirement dues, sports cars, bail, player fines, :D and an endless list of shit, He does not see much of any $10 mil

[Yadkin]

OP Thanks for what you do. :seasix:

[coralbandit]

I don't know jack about unions other than what I see on the news.

My wife got full retirement as an educator working 34 years. Now there is a union but is not overly supported by the teachers and membership is optional.

She was a member in her younger days but not for most of her career. I can understand the point of unions and can have employee benefits with exceptions.

Since my wife made good money due to tenure, every year or so when there was a negotiated wage increase, contributions increased also such as healthcare and other areas leaving her net raise of no real value.

Seems those dockworkers could be the same thing? 62% raise? How much of that are they really going to see?

Ball players, some kid gets a $10 mil contract. Well, he has an agent to pay, taxes, healthcare retirement dues, sports cars, bail, player fines, :D and an endless list of shit, He does not see much of any $10 mil

My company is all union roofers.
I am a sheet metal installer and not union.
There are no union metal workers at my shop.
The metal union wants $38 an hour if I join. That's over $1500 a week~!
I get paid union wages by law on prevailing wage jobs which is what my company specializes in.:kimblair:
They are not getting 50% of my pay but I 'appreciate' them.:seasix:

[09CTSV]

Scab!!

Unions do what unions do. I believe the unions served a purpose in America but have outlived their usefulness. Look at how the unions are set up now a days. They are a corporation trying to tell a company how to run their business.
I have nothing against our union or the people at the plant.

What would you like better, shut the plant down and everyone be out of a job? If a union is asking for items which are ridiculous, why should the company cave in to them? How would someone feel if their electric bill or water bill triples just so you can give all the employees a 60% pay raise? Wait till we feel it in our pocket books the effects of the dock workers and their raises. Oh and the thug in charge gets his cut, let's give him a nice raise over the 7 figure mark so he can afford another $4M dollar house. This is why I said unions used to have their place, now they are a business within a business.

There are plenty of non union shops who make as good or better wages than the union shops. I am thankful for the states which have right to work laws.

Enough union bashing. I will say you learn a lot about the process and how the equipment runs while running the plant. In the first week we have fixed more items than we did in the past 3 months. It was easier to complain about something but do nothing to help remedy the situation. As of yesterday we were making better product, loading out more product and running the plant more stable than the "A" team which is at the gate. All of this with only 4 days of on the job trial by fire training.

[09CTSV]

Leave the Hellcat home, take an Uber. :island14:

I'll take either the Hummer or Hellcat, no worries. If they are still out when we get the Escalade IQ, I will take that in as well. I am not concerned something will happen. Maybe as time wears on there might be more unrest but I will see as we go.

[Mike Mercury]

Unions served their purpose in the 1970's & 80's.

Nowdays they're only beneficial to the worst workers (that should be fired ... never to be rehired).

In this 21st century, if you are a good worker... a union will hamper your chances to get ahead of the pact.

[Tikiman]

I remember having to walk through picket lines to get to the gates of a Naval shipyard that I worked at. Engineers were exempt from unions and, as soon as they would see the white background on my badge, they would immediately back off and let me through. Never had any problems.

[bsmith]

I know we talked when you were looking at moving, now I know for sure where you work. :lol:

to be fair, I was pretty sure before.

[lrobe22]

Unions are trash. Leaches, the lot of them.

[09CTSV]

I know we talked when you were looking at moving, now I know for sure where you work. :lol:

to be fair, I was pretty sure before.

Could have been the competition who was out for around 6 months. Knew a few people over there and it got to be confrontational. Some tires slashed and people following people.

Heard a whole bunch of crap going on this morning on our morning call. Will be an interesting week to say the least.

[KenHorse]

Unions served their purpose in the 1970's & 80's.

Nowdays they're only beneficial to the worst workers (that should be fired ... never to be rehired).

In this 21st century, if you are a good worker... a union will hamper your chances to get ahead of the pact.

Obviously my sarcasm wasn't recognized..

I am as about anti-union as you can get. After seeing how AFSCME screwed my mom, I curse every last union.

She was a well-respected and liked Organizer for them yet they fired her after 13 years for no cause. She was a good little Commie too

[Bill]

Unions do what unions do. I believe the unions served a purpose in America but have outlived their usefulness. Look at how the unions are set up now a days. They are a corporation trying to tell a company how to run their business.
I have nothing against our union or the people at the plant.

What would you like better, shut the plant down and everyone be out of a job? If a union is asking for items which are ridiculous, why should the company cave in to them? How would someone feel if their electric bill or water bill triples just so you can give all the employees a 60% pay raise? Wait till we feel it in our pocket books the effects of the dock workers and their raises. Oh and the thug in charge gets his cut, let's give him a nice raise over the 7 figure mark so he can afford another $4M dollar house. This is why I said unions used to have their place, now they are a business within a business.

There are plenty of non union shops who make as good or better wages than the union shops. I am thankful for the states which have right to work laws.

Enough union bashing. I will say you learn a lot about the process and how the equipment runs while running the plant. In the first week we have fixed more items than we did in the past 3 months. It was easier to complain about something but do nothing to help remedy the situation. As of yesterday we were making better product, loading out more product and running the plant more stable than the "A" team which is at the gate. All of this with only 4 days of on the job trial by fire training.

Sounds a lot like the company can go ahead and downsize, knowing all the unnecessary workers they're currently employing. If you can make better product and higher production with a pressed-into-service skeleton crew, sounds like a leaner crew going forward would be the way for the company to go. Give them the higher pay, then slash the workforce by half or more, Elon Musk style.

Twitter is apparently running fine and with less stifling of free speech with only 20% of the original workforce.

[Frankie the Fink]

Having married the daughter of a West Virginia coal miner and hearing her mother's stories (who lost her husband from "black lung") I completely understand the value the coal miner's union added back in those dark days of unsafe conditions and exploitations....listen to Tennessee Earnie Ford's "16 Tons" song and you'll get the idea.

Now, not sure the unions are as valuable and aren't a means to promote mediocrity in the workforce, but, I have limited experience with them.

[09CTSV]

The games continue on the line. Loudspeaker and more slow walkers out there today. Heard some "members" targeted a worker who quit the union a while back. Did some damage to his garage doors with spray paint.
Others on the line are getting a little more aggressive. Maybe when this Friday kicks in and they realize that strike pay is not going to pay the rent/mortgage or car payment.

[PortDawg]

Unions served their purpose in the 1970's & 80's.

Nowdays they're only beneficial to the worst workers (that should be fired ... never to be rehired).



^ This

[Unsuspicious]

Unions served their purpose in the 1970's & 80's.

Nowdays they're only beneficial to the worst workers (that should be fired ... never to be rehired).

In this 21st century, if you are a good worker... a union will hamper your chances to get ahead of the pact.

Same can be said for feminism

[Budman]

I wouldn't mind being a Union member - as long it was as President of the Longshoremen Union. $900,000 / year isn't too bad of pay! Of course you have to be a pretty good BSer to get your members to pay that much.

[Burro (He/Haw)]

6spdC6 where are you? You should be in here defending the union that provided you a decent living and good pension.

40 year member here. Currently a member of two unions. One is a building trades union, another a professional union which includes Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineers. Unions have treated me well and I’ve treated them well. I show up every day, on time, and do my job with minimal fuss. I’ll make a little noise from time to time because that’s just my nature. Plus, if you know anything at all about primadonna pipe welders that’s part of our training.
🤣

[SurfnSun]

Unions have outlived their original purpose and reason for existing.

They are a mob rule mentality and the polar opposite of anything that is good for business.

[Steve_R]

I've never been a union member but have been around them and was recruited at a couple of the nuke plants I worked at. I passed because it was painfully obvious they thought we were overpaid but they wanted our dues money. What I observed was that the unions encouraged mediocrity and discouraged members from excelling so they wouldn't make the other members look bad.

[6spdC6]

6spdC6 where are you? You should be in here defending the union that provided you a decent living and good pension.

40 year member here. Currently a member of two unions. One is a building trades union, another a professional union which includes Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineers. Unions have treated me well and I’ve treated them well. I show up every day, on time, and do my job with minimal fuss. I’ll make a little noise from time to time because that’s just my nature. Plus, if you know anything at all about primadonna pipe welders that’s part of our training.
🤣

Your answers in no sort of order!

Well I'm far from a gung ho the unions are great person. Yes that kept me out of a few jobs.. I have no use for public safety unions and the assembly line unions. I have said that many times over the years!

The building trades unions that we both were in is a different story. I was a member of two construction unions I worked as a laborer specializing in concrete, worked for a bridge building company.. Had a chance to get into the pipefitters and I did join. That gives me about 58 years as a rank and file member! Never got involved with union politics, as it was basically a old boy network. Yes I was Stewart on a few jobs and kept the contractors honest a few times!

The union was good for finding work, we could go off the list or solicit our own jobs. I have done both.

I always consider the union as a means to a end. They worked for me, not me working for the union! . I early retired at 55 instead of 62 with a very good pension which also gave me a good SS deposit to my checking account each month.

I'm rather laid back here on line, in person far from laid back. On the job I spoke my peace, something was wrong or dangerous if they would not fix it or allow us to fix it, get me my phucking money I'm out of here. Some times you just got to be your own advocate!

Like you I missed very little time when on the job. Was only late to a job site on one occasion over my long work time.

As far as preadonna welders yeah that goes with the trade and I have been know to participate in that well earned stereotype.:D

Below is a copy of something I posted many years ago. (2021)

"My last few years before I retired I worked in a large fab shop. I had a kind of unique position there. I basically worked as a fitter with 3 to 10 welders. Wow, what a job trying to keep a bunch of welders happy!

I was the best fork lift operator at the shop, so I was the "outside man". I picked out the pipe and fittings needed and brought them into the shop. Cut to measure, tuned up the bevels and if I had time tacked them up and then delivered to the dedicated welders. (mostly MIG) Cut and threaded screw pipe, worked on the Vic stuff. and cut most of the steel needed for supports, hangers, stairs and decks. Kept me busy but made a good day.

When the shop had too many men the shop super split the crew and I ran half of the work. Did not like playing boss, but the money was good. Yes I was the outside man but for the most part most of my time was in the heated shop. Then the company made a couple big mistakes and went downhill fast.
I went back out in the field but soon retired from the union (at a dam good pension) and as I had a CDL drove large trucks till my wife reached retirement age and we moved up to the lake!"

[Jasper711]

A naive theory is that Union representation could moderate the quality of workmanship resulting in 'win-win'.

Personal experience is that Union representation causes an adversarial relationship, workplace morale plummets to the lowest common denominator. There is a marked difference in work satisfaction between two local refineries, one Union the other not, and it doesn't favor the Union.

Having said that, I've worked at a power company where the Union through it's rules and contracts did a better job of managing local operations than the management team. The management team (at local service centers) seemed like they had been there too long, some of them were the kids of previous linemen.

[VITE1]

I was in a Union once. A predecessor of the SEIU. I was a janitor and was forced to join. I was put in the " Floater" group that got the jobs that needed people with all different skills. I was the only white guy in the Group. I went from being " White boy" to Paul in 12 months. I helped the team with issues on their paychecks and OT.

They got together with others and voted me in as shop Stewart. I wss " Laid off" the next day.
When I went to the union rep to get help he told me the Union agreed and wanted me out because is was "Helping the ni%%ers" too much and they were getting uppity. The rep was black.

I never worked a union job again.

[Over140mph]

2 main problems with modern unions:

1. Look up John Dougherty

2. Union workers on sites are not friendly to non-Union workers. The attitude and work-flow is such that non-union workers can be forced off of sites.

[09CTSV]

I must work with some of the best maintenance unions around. We have a mix of union and non union trades and they get along better than the union in the plant. I am blessed to work with such fine talented Skilled Trades in the union and non union.

Big rally today, took 25 minutes being 4 cars back from the picket line, to get out of the plant and headed home.
I did have a nice conversation with one of the picketers who worked for me before going to the operations side. Had a few good laughs and discussion on Florida and Milton.

[09CTSV]

Going on week three and no end in sight. Things will probably get a little more dicey near the end of the month, benefits run out. The union upped the strike pay so not much incentive to come back to the table yet. I have a feeling it will be a long winter and possibly a long spring.
Another plant in town was out 6 months before settling. Our company has much deeper pockets to dig in to.