• @tasty4skin
    link
    English
    152 years ago

    Not arguing against unions, but they don’t have teeth everywhere you go. I’m part of the IBEW and they’re great further north, but where I’m at our greatest consolation is $20 an hour (pretty good for the area) and 15 minute breaks at 8a and 10a. We also have a no strike/lockout clause in our contract.

    So, don’t just join a union. Participate. Bargain for more. The union isn’t the savior, it’s a tool so we can save ourselves.

    • @KermitLeFrog
      link
      English
      92 years ago

      So don’t just join a union. Participate

      It’s both. They don’t have teeth because membership is so low. But lack of participation also affects the unions that do exist. I would still argue that lack of membership is the far bigger issue though.

      • @tasty4skin
        link
        English
        42 years ago

        yeah it’s both… that’s why I said do both

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      22 years ago

      Dang! IBEW journeymen are at something like $60-70/hr where I am. I’ve been told it’s $69/hr but maybe that’s bullshit.

      My local had a no strike clause after losing a strike in the 80s, but it expired a few years ago and since then we’ve won $16/hr in raises without ever officially striking and only picketing a handful of times.

      We’ve also gotten more money into our pension and healthcare trusts, which is big.

      Unions work. Unions give you dignity and recourse to unfair labor practices.