Unions???

However, "agency shop" can apparently force your employer to terminate your employment if you choose not to pay dues. You are bound to the dues if you work in a union shop.

Yes, that's what an agency shop is. You aren't forced to be a member of the union, and the company can't be forced to only hire union members, but if you choose to work for a company that has agency shop negotiated into its labor agreement, then you have to pay the agency shop fee, which is usually the same or very close to dues. That is not the same thing as a closed shop.
 
I am still amazed that the unions aren't more active in trying to get employees to unionize, I understand that the actual drive is internal but the union would benefit from increased union members, the profession would be better represented and it would counter act the information put out by companies looking to keep unions out (we will just close the doors and the such), if they would just talk to potential union members. I can't see how it wouldn't be a win win for the unions to at least make themselves available for employees at non union shops in an informal off property kind of way.
the last time I brought this up, I was quickly told that " this is not how unions work", but looking at the union membership numbers, would it be a good time to change things up?

The issue you raise is statutory, as I understand it; unions are barred by law from doing what you're recommending (reaching out).
 
Yes, that's what an agency shop is. You aren't forced to be a member of the union, and the company can't be forced to only hire union members, but if you choose to work for a company that has agency shop negotiated into its labor agreement, then you have to pay the agency shop fee, which is usually the same or very close to dues. That is not the same thing as a closed shop.
Most conservatives have a lot of talk about private property rights and a business owner's freedom, but also apparently feel the need to regulate that same business owner's freedoms to sign contracts with their employees. A contract is a contract is a contract, except when it is inconvienant. Talk about the nanny state :D
 
Most conservatives have a lot of talk about private property rights and a business owner's freedom, but also apparently feel the need to regulate that same business owner's freedoms to sign contracts with their employees. A contract is a contract is a contract, except when it is inconvienant. Talk about the nanny state :D

Most of that talk is hyperbole.
 
The issue you raise is statutory, as I understand it; unions are barred by law from doing what you're recommending (reaching out).

As far as I know, that's not the case. Most unions don't do it simply because it's too cost-intensive. It's smarter financially to focus efforts on labor groups that have already expressed an interest.
 
I think you completely misunderstood my post. Spectacularly misunderstood my post in fact.
I'm not really sure you grasped what I was saying in my post in any way. As I said, a spectacular reading comprehension failure.

Oh, Hi Waco! :)

I just took the liberty to point your lack of respect for anything and anybody out, in explaining my position to another poster. I did and continue to refuse to respond directly to your inflammatory remarks and insults (I do so based on recommendation of one of our moderators, here) - and instead chose to use them as an example for how not to be perceived as an employer.

You may be the only player with an understanding of how labor relations work and it's quite possible that you're the only one who has mastered how to read and how to "manage" people. The edge shall be yours and I hope you feel well in having it. I believe your position is perfectly acceptable and probably quite average, as long as you only employ people for things you are yourself capable of doing and stay small enough so that your decisions never affect a large enough number of people. Once you get large enough to have an impact on too many people's lives you may well find them unionizing, in making their point with you.

For many emperors it's a sad fact of life, that living things like human tools have emotions and can't just have their perceptions shut off. What a perfect world it would be if you owned their brains, capable of transferring them into happy drooling slaves, eagerly awaiting your instructions to go out and make you some money. A perfect world of emperors and peons.

As I said, I hope the quick buck you make on the back of your "tools" will create enough of a buffer for you, so you don't have to cry foul, when the liberals you have created yourself, take you off your high horse. That's all.

P.S. Please don't worry about my employment or future vocational negotiations capability or for my financial health and social & economic status. It's not your place to do so and for all I know, it will never be.

Lets move on and talk about Unions, could we? OKAYTHANKSBYE!

----------

Question for any others:
Is membership in ALPA or any union required within any airline? Either to gain employment or retain it?
I was under the impression that such conglomerates/ systems depend on freedom of choice for their prospective members?

What is the gist of "reaching out" in gaining members, JTrain?

I have worked high enough in managerial positions to experience work force representation (Europe, different laws) and this is how I came to "dislike" the creation of internal structures that avoided direct and upright communication. Our company (~ 2500 employees) responded with legal loophole tactics to avoid what basically amounted to a hostile takeover in pay, benefits as well as other factors.
 
Oh, Hi Waco! :)

I just took the liberty to point your lack of respect for anything and anybody out, in explaining my position to another poster. I did and continue to refuse to respond directly to your inflammatory remarks and insults (I do so based on recommendation of one of our moderators, here) - and instead chose to use them as an example for how not to be perceived as an employer.

You may be the only player with an understanding of how labor relations work and it's quite possible that you're the only one who has mastered how to read and how to "manage" people. The edge shall be yours and I hope you feel well in having it. I believe your position is perfectly acceptable and probably quite average, as long as you only employ people for things you are yourself capable of doing and stay small enough so that your decisions never affect a large enough number of people. Once you get large enough to have an impact on too many people's lives you may well find them unionizing, in making their point with you.

For many emperors it's a sad fact of life, that living things like human tools have emotions and can't just have their perceptions shut off. What a perfect world it would be if you owned their brains, capable of transferring them into happy drooling slaves, eagerly awaiting your instructions to go out and make you some money. A perfect world of emperors and peons.

As I said, I hope the quick buck you make on the back of your "tools" will create enough of a buffer for you, so you don't have to cry foul, when the liberals you have created yourself, take you off your high horse. That's all.

P.S. Please don't worry about my employment or future vocational negotiations capability or for my financial health and social & economic status. It's not your place to do so and for all I know, it will never be.

Lets move on and talk about Unions, could we? OKAYTHANKSBYE!

----------

Question for any others:
Is membership in ALPA or any union required within any airline? Either to gain employment or retain it?
I was under the impression that such conglomerates/ systems depend on freedom of choice for their prospective members?

What is the gist of "reaching out" in gaining members, JTrain?

I have worked high enough in managerial positions to experience work force representation (Europe, different laws) and this is how I came to "dislike" the creation of internal structures that avoided direct and upright communication. Our company (~ 2500 employees) responded with legal loophole tactics to avoid what basically amounted to a hostile takeover in pay, benefits as well as other factors.

As I said, a remarkable failure in reading comprehension. Try this, it could help you:
spg798936828088_100.gif
 
As far as I know, that's not the case. Most unions don't do it simply because it's too cost-intensive. It's smarter financially to focus efforts on labor groups that have already expressed an interest.

One of these days I'll look into it and let you know.
 
I didn't know that...

Well, turns out I could be wrong. Todd thinks I am, and I've been known to be wrong before. I always thought that the workers had to reach out to the union, not the other way around, but I need to do some research on the issue before putting my foot in my mouth any further.
 
Oh great! Thanks, man! Could you tell me what it's called? Remember, I can't read.
If you send me that, I'll send you the book I think you should read:

9780752271743.jpg

Touche.

Now, go back and read my post again. Get over your emotional response and try to understand it. First, I state pretty clearly that if I were a 121 pilot I would join a union. Second, I very graciously explain why. Bottom line is this - if you aren't the one signing the paychecks, you are a tool of the person that does - you exist for their benefit (during work hours) and as long as they can clear a profit over what they have to pay you, then you are useful. The minute that dynamic changes, you are not. The entire point of my post (that you found so disturbing) and my previous statement (which Bumblebee found so offensive) was to simply point out that no matter what you want, or how you want to be perceived, it is all going to boil down to numbers and your time and what I (or others) pay for it is simply a commodity. That may sound harsh to you, but that is certainly what it is. I never raise my voice, treat my employees well and they perform - but it is also based upon the calculus of my company making money. As a previous poster said - this isn't a social club. Business doesn't exist to provide self-esteem, or to be "fun", and your QOL is whatever you make it. Ultimately the point was this: Prepare and order your life as if all bosses were exactly what I am saying. This allows some amount of self-determination of a sort. You can't control if you'll get outsourced, and you ultimately have little control over things except for your ability to constantly measure yourself and your value and to prepare for the worst. Too many posts have been put here about "I want a company that will..." or "I want a company that will respect me for..." and all this other happy BS and then get disallusioned if it doesn't work out just so. I'm trying to get people to disabuse themselves of the notion that work and being an employee is something other than what it is. Apparently your sensitivity obscures this.
 
Oh, Hi Waco! :)

I just took the liberty to point your lack of respect for anything and anybody out, in explaining my position to another poster. I did and continue to refuse to respond directly to your inflammatory remarks and insults (I do so based on recommendation of one of our moderators, here) - and instead chose to use them as an example for how not to be perceived as an employer.

This has to be the funniest thing I've read on JC. This could be taken as you've actually taken time to communicate with a moderator here about how to deal with my "inflammatory remarks" and "insults" (and please - where have I insulted anyone - I'd love to know). 414JJB...this is the internet. I represent a bunch of electrons to you. Probably not necessary to get so hooched up.
 
Touche.

Now, go back and read my post again. Get over your emotional response and try to understand it. First, I state pretty clearly that if I were a 121 pilot I would join a union. Second, I very graciously explain why. Bottom line is this - if you aren't the one signing the paychecks, you are a tool of the person that does - you exist for their benefit (during work hours) and as long as they can clear a profit over what they have to pay you, then you are useful.

That was Managment 101.

The minute that dynamic changes, you are not.
Would you agree that this dynamic can change for a variety of reasons? One of which might be a lack of quality, which at least in the 121 Industry is not solely a product of employee conduct and professionalism? If you do, would it make sense to you that I have known a variety of very successful business owners who held on to their struggling employees, out of nothing but compassion? Some of them took large paycuts themselves, as they came to realize that people are not machines, you cannot blindly blame them for a companies failing. If these employees were the sole purpose for a businesses failure, I would not hesitate to lay off, furlough or fire. But, if they are part of a huge, interrelated machine that happens to be dysfunctional at it's core, the employer has a moral obligation to look out for these people. At the very least, the leaders of said company have somewhat of a duty to be realistic. Of course, this opens the debate to the Chicken & Egg philosophy, to find out what shortfall caused what failure. My argument is that in many cases, it's not just a black and white issue, Cause does not equal effect. In order to fix an ailing company, people must come together. I believe the purpose of unions is just that. However, I also believe that we have allowed unions to become to powerful, too tricky and we have created an environment that no longer fosters common sense and common ground, union or not. The system is out of balance.

The entire point of my post (that you found so disturbing) and my previous statement (which Bumblebee found so offensive)
... frankly, I took your remark in good humor and attempted not to take it personal. In the end I did not report your post as disturbing and have no knowledge of Bumblebee having found it offensive. I believe that people can slap each other within reason and then work their way out of the mess. That requires something that falls short, again - COMPASSION.

... was to simply point out that no matter what you want, or how you want to be perceived, it is all going to boil down to numbers and your time and what I (or others) pay for it is simply a commodity. That may sound harsh to you, but that is certainly what it is. I never raise my voice, treat my employees well and they perform - but it is also based upon the calculus of my company making money. As a previous poster said - this isn't a social club. Business doesn't exist to provide self-esteem, or to be "fun", and your QOL is whatever you make it. Ultimately the point was this: Prepare and order your life as if all bosses were exactly what I am saying. This allows some amount of self-determination of a sort. You can't control if you'll get outsourced, and you ultimately have little control over things except for your ability to constantly measure yourself and your value and to prepare for the worst.
I can certainly see that.

Too many posts have been put here about "I want a company that will..." or "I want a company that will respect me for..." and all this other happy BS and then get disallusioned if it doesn't work out just so. I'm trying to get people to disabuse themselves of the notion that work and being an employee is something other than what it is. Apparently your sensitivity obscures this.
I can see that, however you have probably never seen me say things like these, and I am about as insensitive to self abusers as a person can get. Otherwise, I would not react cynically, when people point out how they decided at age *Womb* that they were going to be Commuter Pilots. I guess one of the points at which our opinions may be closer than you think is that I agree, that if I was to start flying for a 121 outfit, I would probably want to be represented by a Union. However, the simple fact that this desire is the first thing that comes to mind when considering this as a career keeps me from pursuing it as such. I think it's a sinking ship, and if I have to elbow my way through by the help of a union, it's probably not worth much as a job to have. I work to live, I do not live to work and just to be part of a constant rat race. Others can do that.

Your remark about me referring to another clash we had caused my pointing out to you that I try not to take you too serious. Jetcareers takes a lot less time in my life as compared to yours.
It's a simple fact that some people have a constant desire to look down upon others. You struck me as one of them. I don't know you from a hole in a wall, and neither do you know me. If something I write offends you, shoot me a PM. I can guarantee you that your attempts to belittle and insult me do not cause much damage here.
 
Calling employees tools, motor oil, etc. is just a way for someone to rationalize his/her actions subconsciously. When you dehumanize someone, it makes it easier for you to make decisions which will adversely affect them. As most of you know already, this is the primary objective of propaganda campaigns. The Teamsters do the same thing when they bring out the inflatable rat. You guys shouldn't take it personally when Waco offers this type of insight. He is explaining how management operates and the methods they use to justify their actions to themselves. This type of information is powerful.
 
Would you agree that this dynamic can change for a variety of reasons? One of
which might be a lack of quality, which at least in the 121 Industry is not
solely a product of employee conduct and professionalism? If you do, would it
make sense to you that I have known a variety of very successful business owners
who held on to their struggling employees, out of nothing but compassion? Some
of them took large paycuts themselves, as they came to realize that people are
not machines, you cannot blindly blame them for a companies failing. If these
employees were the sole purpose for a businesses failure, I would not hesitate
to lay off, furlough or fire. But, if they are part of a huge, interrelated
machine that happens to be dysfunctional at it's core, the employer has a moral
obligation to look out for these people. At the very least, the leaders of said
company have somewhat of a duty to be realistic. Of course, this opens the
debate to the Chicken & Egg philosophy, to find out what shortfall caused
what failure. My argument is that in many cases, it's not just a black and white
issue, Cause does not equal effect. In order to fix an ailing company, people
must come together. I believe the purpose of unions is just that. However, I
also believe that we have allowed unions to become to powerful, too tricky and
we have created an environment that no longer fosters common sense and common
ground, union or not. The system is out of balance.

I think that if you read my post, this is EXACTLY the reason that employees need to view their position in a harsh light (as harsh as the one that I put out). You have no control over management. I could run the company into the ground, loot the coffers, etc. As an employee, you have exactly ZERO control over those things. I think that an employee, for their own sake, is better to wake up every day and say to themselves "I am just a cog in a bigger machine. If something beyond my control happens, I'm toast. Therefore I should always have an escape route and back-up plan". That is the message I'm trying to get across. If you aren't on top of the food chain, then you are food. The scary thing about it (from an employees perspective) is that whoever is on top of YOUR food chain at work is probably in the middle or lower-half of someone elses food chain (customers, key suppliers, etc). Too many variables exist, and too many people (employees) get caught up in intangible feelings such as "loyalty" and other things like this. I'm simply pointing out that as an employer, I have an escape hatch. As an employer, if I can replace a cog with a cheaper, longer-lasting cog, that's probably what I'm going to do. If employees understand this fundamental truth and project my thoughts on every boss they have - no matter how "nice" or "fair" then they will be better off. It is about preparing for the worst and if you experience "the best" - then that is gravy. If you can read my words here and think I'm horrible (which was the entire point of my posts - to project the MOST malevolent and base thoughts that every business owner has) and prepare for that, then it helps you bullet-proof yourself.

... frankly, I took your remark in good humor and attempted not to take it
personal. In the end I did not report your post as disturbing and have no
knowledge of Bumblebee having found it offensive. I believe that people can slap
each other within reason and then work their way out of the mess. That requires
something that falls short, again - COMPASSION.

And the "motor oil" remark and "usefull tool" remark was meant in good humor - but was also tinged in a great deal of seriousness to inform how people who work for others should look at their vocations and plan accordingly. It can be summed up in this Onion headline:
The-Machine_jpg_445x1000_upscale_q85.jpg
 
Calling employees tools, motor oil, etc. is just a way for someone to rationalize his/her actions subconsciously. When you dehumanize someone, it makes it easier for you to make decisions which will adversely affect them. As most of you know already, this is the primary objective of propaganda campaigns. The Teamsters do the same thing when they bring out the inflatable rat. You guys shouldn't take it personally when Waco offers this type of insight. He is explaining how management operates and the methods they use to justify their actions to themselves. This type of information is powerful.

Thanks - 278 posts and someone gets it.
 
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