Fricking Unions....

Damocles

Damocles

Accedo!
Staff member
The CWA (Communication Workers Association) the union in this building is trying to get our group to join the union...

They are lying about it. They are telling people that if you don't fill out their card you cannot vote on the contract. Fricking lying bastards. I hate the Union.
 
Are they passing out membership cards?

I believe that's fairly standard: you don't have to be a member of the union to recieve the benefits of a collective bargaining agreement, but you do have to me a member in good standing to vote on a contract.
 
Cypress said:
Are they passing out membership cards?

I believe that's fairly standard: you don't have to be a member of the union to recieve the benefits of a collective bargaining agreement, but you do have to me a member in good standing to vote on a contract.
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They are passing out the original voting cards. Not membership cards. If they collect 30% of our people they can call a vote, if they win at that vote then we'll be part of the union. At that time a new contract for my area would need to be negotiated.

They are saying that if you don't fill out the card (say you want to be in the union) that you will be unable to vote on the contract after it is negotiated (illegal BTW) even though you will have become part of the union or get fired for not being part of the Union.
 
They are saying that if you don't fill out the card (say you want to be in the union) that you will be unable to vote on the contract after it is negotiated (illegal BTW)

No, actually they're not "lying". That's the way it works, I'm almost positive. If you're not a member in good standing, you don't have a "right" to vote on a contract. Although, you will still recieve the benefits of a CBA.

As for getting fired, for not proactively choosing to be in the union, I don't have any knowledge of how that works. I know in some cases, you can elect to not be a member in a union, although if you're still getting compensation through a contract that the union negotiated, you still have to pay union dues.
 
Cypress said:
They are saying that if you don't fill out the card (say you want to be in the union) that you will be unable to vote on the contract after it is negotiated (illegal BTW)

No, actually they're not "lying". That's the way it works, I'm almost positive. If you're not a member in good standing, you don't have a "right" to vote on a contract. Although, you will still recieve the benefits of a CBA.

As for getting fired, for not proactively choosing to be in the union, I don't have any knowledge of how that works. I know in some cases, you can elect to not be a member in a union, although if you're still getting compensation through a contract that the union negotiated, you still have to pay union dues.
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You are wrong. Their objective is to get enough cards filled out that they will not need a vote to join in our group at all. To do this they are lying by stating that those cards need to be filled out. This is untrue.

(BTW - My FIL is a labor lawyer, I've had him explain this to me in detail...)

If we end up being forced to join the union, if I go and join before the new negotiated contract they cannot legally keep me from voting because of exploratory cards. This is a flat out lie.
 
Unions are like all other things in life we need to be aware of. Open shop/closed shop, etc...
Don't they teach you about unions in MBA school ?
 
I believe you are thinking that we somehow are not part of the Union in a Union shop. This is incorrect. The Union is attempting to get our group to join the Union, we have never been part of them.
 
Damocles said:
I believe you are thinking that we somehow are not part of the Union in a Union shop. This is incorrect. The Union is attempting to get our group to join the Union, we have never been part of them.
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Again it depends on the existing union contract with your employer and the state labor laws. Open shops can have both members and non members in them. sometimes the non members have to pay dues though, sometimes not. I have been in both situations. Closed shops if you work the unionized classification you have to be in the union.
 
We do not have an open shop. Our group (non-union) recently moved to a new building that happened to have a Union group in it. That Union group is working to get us to vote to join the Union. In order to do this they have to announce to one of our Supervisors then collect cards. If they collect 50% plus one more there is no vote, we become part of the Union. They are lying to people and saying that the cards only allow you to vote on the contract later, like registering to vote.

They say (illegally) that if we become Union those who didn't fill out the cards won't be able to vote. That is a lie and illegal.
 
If it weren't for unions we would still be working under Dickensian working conditions.

And trust me, employers lie far more than unions....
 
Damocles said:
We do not have an open shop. Our group (non-union) recently moved to a new building that happened to have a Union group in it. That Union group is working to get us to vote to join the Union. In order to do this they have to announce to one of our Supervisors then collect cards. If they collect 50% plus one more there is no vote, we become part of the Union. They are lying to people and saying that the cards only allow you to vote on the contract later, like registering to vote.

They say (illegally) that if we become Union those who didn't fill out the cards won't be able to vote. That is a lie and illegal.
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Yep, sounds like a political situation. Lies and spin, but then that is what this country is running on lately.

Can you file a grievance on them ? There is probably a clause in the existing contract book that covers it.
 
AnyOldIron said:
If it weren't for unions we would still be working under Dickensian working conditions.

And trust me, employers lie far more than unions....
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I believe that to be true, and believe that Unions have their time and place.

"If it weren't for Slavery, blah, blah..."

We can add about a million things that wouldn't be if we hadn't something bad as well. That doesn't mean that changing them was or would be bad.

Right now, this particular Union is an albatross for its members and they have to use lies and manipulation to get people to accidentally "vote" for them. It's sickening to watch. This pretense that I am supposed to cheer them on because some other group might "lie to me more" is inane.
 
Kinda sounds like the Republicans running in this election Damo.
Sorry but could not resist, and it is true ;)
 
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