But unions did a lot for workers' rights and safety!
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
March 17, 2011 12:50pm CST
When people defend unions, they talk about the working conditions of the distant past. I bet the workers of those days would laugh at what modern unions and their members consider "grievances". The workers of the 20s and 30s would probably spit in today's workers faces and say, "Quit your bellyaching and get back to work!"
2 people like this
7 responses
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
17 Mar 11
That's why you have these morons acting like limiting union bargaining rights will lead to 60 hour work weeks with no weekends.
Most of the idiots making such a claim have never worked such a week themselves and couldn't fathom the conditions that led to the original unions creation. People were treated like slaves, forced to work in ungodly conditions without breaks, lunches, etc.
Heck, I personally am sick of working with lazy people. There is a night crew and a day crew at my library. I run the night crew. People on the night crew are here for 4 hours, 3 hours at the desk helping patrons, 1 hour checking in books. They get one 15 minute break. The day crew is the opposite. Most of them are here 7 hours with a handful that work 4 hours. During that time they spend 2-3 hours (1-2 for 4 hour people) on the desk, little to no time checking in books leaving that to the lower ranked workers, get 2 15 minute breaks, and a 1 hour lunch. They piss and moan if they have to be on the desk for more than 2 hours during their 7 hour shift. I am NOT exaggerating. Of course they have a union that guarantees they won't be fired or laid off since they have all been here for a long time and seniority is all that matters.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
25 Mar 11
"People were treated like slaves, forced to work in ungodly conditions without breaks, lunches, etc."
You just described the life of some letter carriers for the USPS in the twenty-first century! Sure there's a union and there are supposed to be regulations protecting the carriers from that sort of thing but when there was no in-house union steward, which is how it was at my office the last few years was there, and when you have a snake in the grass Postmaster who managed to make everyone above him AND the union officials think he was such a nice guy but then would stab you in the back the first chance he got, none of the "rules" were followed.
We were entitled to a ten minute break in the morning, a half hour for lunch and another ten minute break in the afternoon. Sometimes it was hard if not downright impossible to find a place to take these breaks at the right time on a walking route n a totally residential area. I was told I was allowed four minutes for a "comfort stop" and if it took me longer than that to get to a bathroom, that was my problem to make up the time I lost. I and many of my coworkers skipped lunches and breaks on a regular basis rather than face the consequences of running into "unauthorized overtime". Of course, the time it was supposed to take to complete a route was based on perfect weather conditions and almost no mail. If it was snowing, raining, icy, below zero or 100 degrees in the shade we were still expected to be done in the same amount of time. Management was well rewarded for harassing and pushing those of us who did the actual work beyond the limit with big bonuses. We work through breaks and lunches which are deducted from our pay anyway so as to not get any overtime and the boss gets a few thousand extra bucks - sounds fair, right?
Annie
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
17 Mar 11
It was a different work ethic back then--people expected to do their best for the money they were given in exchange for their time and effort. They were proud that they worked hard! They looked down on "gold brickers" with scorn and now the gold brickers are held up for admiration.
I remember both my grandfather and my father coming home very tired and dirty, saying "it was a good day's work!". They were tired but satisfied and proud.
It's a different world now. The modern people you're speaking of take pride in getting the most money for the least effort. So many things are the exact opposite of what they use to be and it's dragging us down. 
2 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
18 Mar 11
More and more it's looking like Ayn Rand's book "Atlas Shrugged" where the government takes over all things and so everything falls apart due to their politics of favors (as opposed to skill) and well, government ineptitude, waste, lumbering bureaucracy, power struggle and self interest..
1 person likes this
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
18 Mar 11
I would tend to agree. In the 1970's I was a young teacher and active in the Union. At that time we were trying to get teachers salaries ($7200) above those of grocery store clerks($13,000). The goal was to improve our salary and fringe benefits. We worked with the School Board to come up with a reasonable total package. We worked to save teacher jobs and not raise taxes. A few short years later it became more important that local unions join together and force area wide settlements, giving the power to the Union (called Uni Serve Units) to decide what was best for the teachers. Negotiations focused on salary increases and language to restrict the Districts to use WEA Trust Insurance. The Union no longer tried to save teaching jobs but the strategy of bargaining for the survivors. If a $200 a year raise cost a teacher their job that was the cost of doing business. The Union set the contract terms to be negotiated. From what I see it is the Unions telling the teachers what they will be asking for in contract talks. The tail is waging the dog and the Union Bosses are making very good money doing it.
1 person likes this
@GanChoSan3 (25)
• United States
26 Mar 11
Can anyone explain why government employees need to be unionized?
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
29 Mar 11
In fairness, there have been instances of pretty harsh abuse. Read Annie's comments above. However, all of the abuses are instances of law breaking, so I don't know if unionization is the answer.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
18 Mar 11
Excellent point. Yesterday's union workers would most certainly be ashamed of today's union workers.
