Just the Facts Ma'am - Union Facts Part II
Filed in archive Management by Steve Rucinski on June 2, 2006

Ok, I admit it, I am not a union proponent and let me explain why from both an individual point of view and a business owner point of view.
I have been in 3 unions in my life, the United Auto Works, the International Association of Machinists and the Grocery Workers. First off I must say that pretty early on in my work life I wanted a CAREER but I grew up and lived in a blue collar town so most of the work available after high school (I went to college later, I had to earn money to pay for it) required joining a union.
Here is just a short list of my experiences while working in a union:
- While in an Apprenticeship
program the other union members stopped my mentor from instructing me so I couldn't learn the work processes I needed to learn. This happened every day for the entire 6 months apprenticeship.- When I would do my job with a strong effort one of my peers would always try to slow me down, make the work last was the credo.
- In one job we installed the first numerically controlled machine and I wanted to learn to be a programmer for it. I was told that maybe in 25 years I would have enough seniority to apply for the position.
- I observed multiple instances of workers chewing out the supervisor or telling him to take a flying leap for no apparent reason other than he asked them to get to work. Many times the workers did what is now called harassment to supervisors.
- I mistakenly tried to move a casting one time and was royally chewed out by a union steward because that was not my job but the person whose job it was happened to be out sick, so no work could be done.
I could go on and on but I learned many things from these experiences.
- Unions kill individual initiative; everyone is the same, my brain and my skill and my work ethic meant nothing.
- Unions are hugely unproductive entities that make it difficult for a business to operate cost effectively.
- For 6 years of my life unions cost me more than my dues, they cost me my spirit. I am glad I escaped.
- I also learned that if an employer treats employees well including pay then there is no need for a union. If an employer doesn't treat employees well then it may get what it deserves, a union.
Isn't it interesting that foreign automakers can build plants in the US, with US workers and build better cars and have satisfied employees all without a union? How can that happen?
I think much of the offshoring of manufacturing today is not just cost reduction but union reduction or avoidance.
What do you think?
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Mr Wong
