It appears that the union is continuing to waste money by sending out applications to hourly employees. The employees I have talked to that have received these applications have not expressed interest in joining the union. So basically, the union is sending out unsolicited mailings in hopes of getting some additional revenue. At no time has any official from the union talked to any of these individuals to ask them if they would like to join.
So it is obvious that the union has no interest in the concerns of the average employee that they claim to represent. They just want to increase their numbers with "free" memberships and mailing out applications. Perhaps if they spent more time listening to the people they claim to represent and less time trying to demonize anyone with a different point of view, then they might have increasing membership numbers instead of declining numbers.
Having looked at the application sent out, it is obvious to me that the union is indeed a business and nothing more. I have a cell phone contract that has fewer restrictions on termination of the agreement. I suppose the difference between the two businesses is that my cell phone company is confident that they offer a product I need. The union knows they offer nothing in return and therefore must lock you into a contract that is heavily weighted in their favor.
Perhaps that is why they had to increase the union dues. Between the declining memberships and the high salaries needed to retain such competent "leadership", the only option is to squeeze those poor souls they've locked into contracts.
If you have a good product or service, then people will flock to your business. When you have horrible customer service (the attitudes we've all been subjected to over the last 2 1/2 years is not exactly great customer relations), inept leadership (we don't need to re-hash that, do we?), and one-sided contracts, then it is no wonder that people are trying to jump ship. The union will do whatever they can to stay in business, but it's too late. They will not have our support until they can prove that they are on our side. They can't do that because they don't have a clue what the average worker is experiencing on the floor. And that's why IAM (NOT) 933!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Executive Pay
Recently, there has been a lot of public outrage regarding the compensation that company executives receive. Why should these executives get so much for poor decisions and leadership, when the average worker gets the shaft? How is this fair?
Well, then why is the union membership so content to pay so much money to their executives? According to the union's LM-2 filing, there are two individuals raking in far more money than any of us working stiffs. Why? What are they delivering that warrants more than twice the average hourly employee's yearly wages?
Shouldn't the union be run by the individuals doing the work? Shouldn't those in charge of the union be the union? Why are they adopting the same practices that they are supposed to be protecting workers from? I suppose it is just my "ill-informed" ideology, but shouldn't the union be run by the workers? I would expect those individuals to do the work of the union with minimal outside help and for minimal cost. This isn't the national union we are talking about, this is a local lodge. Shouldn't it be local workers making decisions for us?
Is this why dues had to be increased? Is a pay increase needed for the business representatives? Shouldn't pay be tied to the success of the "business" that they work for? I know that the union members are not blind to the problems these individuals have brought to all of us. But what is the reason? Is it to have a sense of belonging? An identity? There are 10,000 other employees and many groups both within the company and within the community to belong to. Believe it or not, you have an identity outside of this toxic union.
Executive pay is not going to be changed by grumbling. It is not going to change until we demand that it change. The only way to get the message to those in their ivory towers is to cut off their bank accounts. Your money belongs to you. Shouldn't you expect to get something in return for your investment?
Well, then why is the union membership so content to pay so much money to their executives? According to the union's LM-2 filing, there are two individuals raking in far more money than any of us working stiffs. Why? What are they delivering that warrants more than twice the average hourly employee's yearly wages?
Shouldn't the union be run by the individuals doing the work? Shouldn't those in charge of the union be the union? Why are they adopting the same practices that they are supposed to be protecting workers from? I suppose it is just my "ill-informed" ideology, but shouldn't the union be run by the workers? I would expect those individuals to do the work of the union with minimal outside help and for minimal cost. This isn't the national union we are talking about, this is a local lodge. Shouldn't it be local workers making decisions for us?
Is this why dues had to be increased? Is a pay increase needed for the business representatives? Shouldn't pay be tied to the success of the "business" that they work for? I know that the union members are not blind to the problems these individuals have brought to all of us. But what is the reason? Is it to have a sense of belonging? An identity? There are 10,000 other employees and many groups both within the company and within the community to belong to. Believe it or not, you have an identity outside of this toxic union.
Executive pay is not going to be changed by grumbling. It is not going to change until we demand that it change. The only way to get the message to those in their ivory towers is to cut off their bank accounts. Your money belongs to you. Shouldn't you expect to get something in return for your investment?
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