I just found out the union I worked hard in convincing my coworkers to vote in favor of just betrayed all of us. Our rep knew about mass layoffs a week in advance and told nobody. I figured the employer would lie. But this betrayal fucking hurts man. I put my neck out for this union and worked hard to get a near unanimous victory.
I guess the first red flag was the director of my local talking about how he and his family enjoyed his vacation home in Mexico last year when discussing negotiations for a contract.
And it was a dogshit contract. Almost no concessions from the employer. "The first raise is just to pay for the dues, we can always get more on the next round of negotiations" I was told. This is how resentment for unions and apathy breeds. I live in an area with extremely high unemployment and awful paying jobs, and every one of my coworkers will have severe difficulty finding a job with similar pay. A week could have bought a lot of us more time to prepare.
And now we're supposed to trust that the union is negotiating our severance in best our interest. I'm not a betting man, but I'd put money on this union taking a cut of our severance. Granted, I've never even had a severance. But if there's one thing I've learned about America is that you should never underesterminate disappointment and the greed of the middleman.
Thanks for the 25 cent raise and now allowing our employer to sack us on FUCKING APRIL FOOLS DAY WHEN YOU KNEW ABOUT IT A WEEK BEFORE. Can't trust any god damn institution in this country. Fuck UFCW
P.S. is there no dedicated labor community on this site? Dafuq?
Oh no, we aren't allowed to break the law, it's written here in the law's law. Too bad.
Please explain this to me; I'm trying to understand labor law better. If your union rep negotiates a contract, and it includes a no-strike clause, is it then illegal for the workers to collectively act by not coming to work for a day? Who's breaking the law there - every single worker at the same time? Or does it just invalidate the union contract and allow the boss to retract any benefits/wages/other things the contract provides for?
Can someone recommend a book or something on this?
The workers are breaking the law by striking, they can be forced back to work and if they dont they could be fined or jailed.
Ultimately, the workers hold the power though when they're united, even if the contract sucks or leadership is a bunch of class collaborator traitors. If enough members go on wildcat strike, the no-strike clause becomes pointless and often strike pay is paid out at the end of the action and no member faces jail time.
I know in the 80s a nurses union in canada went on a wildcat strike and their members went to the police en masse and asked to be jailed. They were turned away and ultimately won the dispute, because if your workers are locked up they arent available for work.
I know in the 80s a nurses union in canada went on a wildcat strike and their members went to the police en masse and asked to be jailed. They were turned away and ultimately won the dispute, because if your workers are locked up they arent available for work.
For the uninitiated: that was the 1988 United Nurses of Alberta strike. It happened right out my back door when I was a young fella staying in Edmonton with my grandparents, across the street from the Misericordia Hospital. That cold-ass winter is seared into my brain for all time.
The president of the UFCW makes like 180k a year. How would anyone in the petty bourgeoisie have the interests of workers at the heart?
They told me in the past to stop asking about conditions and management.
I just saw you are UFCW. Dm me and we can talk more privately about it. I was a steward for them until they told me to stop questioning conditions. They’ve done nothing to help us during the pandemic either.
I guess the first red flag was the director of my local talking about how he and his family enjoyed his vacation home in Mexico last year
narcoterrorists and union busters have similar praxis, bourgeoisie are a gang
Have you read through your contract for any possible course of action?
Have you contacted your union reps boss to file a grievance against his inaction?
I'm sorry I can't help with trying to protect your job or help you get what you're owed, but I hope this can at least let you fuck over that rat son of a bitch for not lifting a finger during his vacation.
Yeah I have read thru it. There's no language for this situation nor is there anything ancillary that could help. They just wanted to get the contract ratified ASAP.
I haven't reached out to my reps boss cuz I believe that would be the director. I should find out what the grievance process is.
Yuuuup we would have been better off without the union. Aside from the security afforded by no longer being at-will, which is a hugely significant factor no doubt, almost everything stayed the same or got worse on wages and benefits
We had a union vote with SEIU at my old job that ultimately failed, but they also had no experience in our sector and despite championing the fight for 15 theyre known for all kinds of pmc fuckery like the other big unions. Honestly kinda happy we didn’t get locked in with them, though it’s hard to think what existing unions would’ve been better.
Question for those more knowledgeable: Which unions are actually good?
Longshoremen seem pretty decent, lots of teachers unions seem cool, nurses unions usually are good. Don't know what the membership would think of them but I imagine they're well-liked.
Lots of European unions are beloved by their membership in, like, Germany. Like IG Metal
of course! just because you have a union you thought you could stop watching your back? any organization can be co-opted or have its leaders get bought out. "Eternal vigilance the price of freedom" that's the problem with the u.s. too all the fucktards went to sleep in a beer and mcdonalds stupor in front of the tv and allowed the oligarchs to take over. the same fat lazy sheep have voted for people like nancy pelosi, joe biden, chuck schumer, diane feinstein for 40+ consecutive YEARS!
i worked at vons a few years back, UFCW would charge a fee (over $100) for every promotion (even if it was a 10c raise).
