Yes and I knew this when I left my union job and took the one I have now. I agreed to work for them for an agreed amount and if either one of us ( me or the company) are unhappy with situation we are free to terminate the arrangement. I don't need anyone telling me how much I'm allowed to make as I saw happen numerous times in the union( they didn't want you to show up your slacker brothers). If you are happy with the union model that's great just don't try forcing it on everyone.
Been there,done that ,got a drawer full of T-shirts.

Right, and usually, the company terminates based on good reasons, such as me running into a tree, over people, not doing my job...you know...stuff like that.

With card check...its not a 'free choice act', its a 'forced choice' They give you a card to sign, and check yes or no. Well, you might as well put a banner out telling people how you voted because this opens the door for intimidation and harassment by the union, your employer, co-workers...etc. Everything that is PRIVATE has ben stripped away.

I don't want people to know how I vote.

Nevermind the fact that 85% percent of Americans believe that a private vote is a fundamental right.

At the end of the day, if you have to settle for a union job in order to get what you think is a good job, then you aren't looking hard enough.

The card check does not allow a person to vote either way, because of its open ness and the fact that it shows how you voted, it really forces you to vote one way. Sort of like a wedding, they didn't go through all that hooplah and everything for months, only to have you stand at the altar and say "no". That is your vote...yes or no...everyone knows exactly what you are doing.

I have nothing now? Oh Contrare...I have a job, where I earn my pay. I don't have many benefits, but I guess that if I decided I wanted to be a responsible Man and Husband and Provider of my family, I MYSELF should pay for that anyways. I don't need to force my employer to take care of me; I simply have this belief that I can take care of myself, be it health care, retirement, my job...etc. Maybe that's just me. Im just sayin'

__________________
"You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright. But we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you finally wake up and realize you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy that you will fall like over ripe fruit into our hands."
Former Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev

I for one think collective bargaining is a good thing,..Why should drivers work without a contract,...I like to know what my job is and what it pays,...I do not like those things changed midstream....

the irony is that none of those bickering were Union members.

and only 2 were Truck Drivers...

What's with this Venom against Unions...I have a hard time believing successful managers or businesspeople would waste time putting them down here..They pay others to do that..You hate working people that seek a better life by banding together to negotiate with capital...Why? Doctors lawyers investment bankers CEO's they all do the same...They may call themselves professional groups or MBA's, ivory league's, Networking groups, Or agents but it's all the same. People banding together to improve their lot.
It's an admiral action I wish more workers would stand up with self-respect. Your work, you sweat that's the only real fortune...Money Is just a fire starter without the worker..meaningless.

If your pay and benefits where not up to snuff then why did you apply to work for the company in the first place? So you could band together and refuse to work until the company gives into your demands, perhaps? That's called extortion, which is why the same Government that allows it to happen bans it by law on Capital Hill. does that not seem strange to you?

The only reasons Unions still exist in the private sector is because they use the workers money to buy off candidates and lawmaker to pass laws favorable to them.

And this card check thing they are trying to get passed will require a business to go out of business or accept the takeover of the company decisions by Union thugs.


Unions go against what this country stands for which is freedom & self determination. They where started by the communist party when labor laws where lax which is not the case anymore. Now they are just used to bilk money out of business owners to promote Socialist Ideology on a national scale. No one has the right to tell someone wanting to be a business owner how to run their business, but the party of social welfare, social engineering , and obedience to their Union sponsors has to do lots of paybacks to keep their campaign coffers full.

Card Check is one of those paybacks. Why? Because Unions membership is going, going, and will be gone unless the Union bosses get subsistence and rules past from their leftist partners in Gov. to guarantee their survival.

They can't compete plain and simple so they want to be subsidized and allowed to bully business by law. The only choice the companies will have is to go bankrupt or go offshore. So these Union Workers who think their Union's are so great better stop drinking the coolaid and wake up and throw down that hammer and sickle before it is to late.

In short the dues you pay as a Union worker is used to promote Social/Commie ideology,. You want better pay and benefits? then do it the American way by education and self determination. Not through intimidation and extortion.

All very valid points, especially the highlighted ones.

__________________
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

So...basically you are saying you worked for a bad company that screws its workers over, for 12 years, correct?

[quote]No,...It closes the doors on the company goons,...I have seen nasty company tactics first hand,...[/quotes]
No...it opens the door for intimidation and harassment, by everyone. If I was a person who for some crazy reason, thought that putting a box on a shelf was worth me earning 30 bucks an hour and I knew Frank was the one who said no on his card, you think Im not going to say anything? please.

Well, thats all fine and dandy, especially if you are one of those people who consider the constitution kindling. This junk infringes upon our right to vote in private and hold a secret ballot. By taking away that secrecy in voting, it opens the doors to all sorts of trouble.

The reason they have all that is because they 'negotiated' with the company for all of those things. Workers who feel they are worth more to the company, than the company itself does. Never mind that the workers never built the company, never founded it, never created the product / network / connections / buisiness partnerships / relationships...etc. If you have to go to a union shop to get a high wage...that is because of two things:
1. They 'negotiated' with the companies who were paying less.
2. because non-union companies don't think you are worth that much to them. And this would apply to basically every single company out there, meaning...you really arent worth xx bucks an hour for a medial task.

This cuts at the basic foundation of our economic system and capitalization. Compete for jobs. Why shouldnt a company hire a person who is willing to accept a lower wage? Why should the company be forced into providing higher wages and benefits it probably feels (for some odd reason) that the employee should provide for themselves?

Drivers should shop around for the job that best fits them and their needs.
When I looked for a job in 07, I applied at Watkins / shepard and Schneider...based upon their training programs and from what I heard about the companies. WS got back, telling me I was too far away from a terminal in MT. Schneider called me and told me they had an opening in my town (which happens to also be in the middle of nowhere). So I took it. I couldnt find anything else because I didn't have a CDL.
Now, granted, some people might give me flak for working at Schneider for various dumb reasons. And yes, I could work for other companies...or not.
I COULD very well work for Halliburton or some other oil field company out here in the area and make substantially more. However, that would most likely mean weird and long hours and I can't really justify that.

Now as the school year continues and its the beginnign of the calendar year, Im starting to see some openings in the area. I could apply and possibly get a position and make...at least an extra 10 grand, PLUS Id have the summer off. However, I have to weigh the fact that I don't like the stress that comes with teaching, so thats something else to consider. Im not in it for the money.

My point is that you shouldn't need a 'contract' because you should be able to find work in what you want to do anyways. Companies will tell you, most often in writing what the job consists of and hwo much it pays. The way I look at it is that yes, while I AM an employee of Schneider and I have a specific 'duty' or job..whatever; I will also be more than willing to do things that are beyond the scope of my job. I don't want to be confined within four walls. Actually Im pestering my boss once in a while to give me more responsibilities so I can work more.

Another thing to consider that has just been mentioned is education. Make yourself more marketable. I have two degrees and various interests that I would like to fiddle with. Things with trucking videos, things with broadcasting, podcasting, training & instruction...etc. My education has made me much more capable of going out and expanding my options compared to being so fine tuned I can't do anything.

__________________
"You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright. But we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you finally wake up and realize you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy that you will fall like over ripe fruit into our hands."
Former Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev

Yep, and none of it is sustainable. Just ask your former brothers in the Auto, Steel, Textile, Airline, Mining and now Trucking etc.. Industry's.

Is there any Union members that can explain to me why Capital Hill does not allow any Unionization of their employees by law if it is as American as apple pie?

Bah don't worry...Barack promised us that he would not hire on any lobbyist onto his team.....*cough* other than the 17 that have been on there since he made that promise *cough*. Nothing to worry about!

__________________
"You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright. But we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you finally wake up and realize you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy that you will fall like over ripe fruit into our hands."
Former Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev