What is the Point of Unions?

Nobody is forced to join a union. Simply apply exclusively to non-Union companies, and poof, you've opted out.

 

I know that but a union company shouldn't force employees to join.I worked for interbake foods yrs ago which was union but you didn't have to join and many did not because they didn't do anything for employees and always stuck up for the company.

 

A

Yup, i get ot after 8 in a day. People blame the union for protecting lazy workers, when in reality its the company that fails to write up or discipline poor performance. Ive seen plenty of people get canned.

 

If a company chooses to be a union shop, who are you to tell them what hiring practices need to be followed? Not going after you but, nobody is forcing anyone to do anything..

 

Op said his company made him join the union.That's all Iim saying.I don't have a clue how union companies work which is why I'm asking questions.At interbake foods employees talked me out of joining the union.

 

Ah, well most likely he was hired, then after a probation period he was offered the job. To accept he must join the union if its a union only shop. Where you were was not. That may have been due to the contract, or state laws. In my shop the contract does not cover "non labor positions" so all the office staff, sales, management are non union. If you move to one of those positions you have to exit the union.

 

Btw, the company may have treated employees so well specifically to reduce the number of workers joining the union. This could be for many reasons, from mandatory pension donations per employee, to medical insurance costs, excc ... or more malicious, i.e. when theres few enough of them they can oust the union all together. Or harmless i.e. its just how they do...

 

That is the same by us. All the drivers, operators, and mechanics are in unions. All the office people are not.

 

And my company maintains both union and non union shops, i can tell you for a fact i make quite a bit more then my non union brothers, and they dont get ot after 8, or a mandatory 4 hours if called in for weekend work, they do however have better medical....

 

Did that included your initiation fee? Because our initiation fee was $250 and now they changed it to $25