Unions/EFCA

[Susan71]

Earlier this week I had to go through a 4 hour training session on Unions, EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) and what we can and cannot say as management.
It was enlightening.
I really had no experience with Unions at all other than my uncle in NJ being some head honcho in his IBEW and the air of mystery around all of it.

Under current law if the Union can get the majority of employees to sign their Authorization Card, then they can petition the NLRB (National Labor Relations Bureau) to schedule a secret ballot election. Then there is 40 days of campaigning on both sides and the election is held.

Under this proposed new law, EFCA, as soon as the Union gets 50% of employees to sign those cards, they can be automatically certified and the Union is in. No election. No chance for an employee to change his mind if he/she was bullied/defrauded into signing the card.

The laws surrounding the Union/Labor laws are very odd. They can lie, promise, threaten, etc and there are no repurcussions. However if the company does that they are fined for Unfair Labor Practices.

Since apparently EFCA was something that Obama said he would back if elected there is all sorts of buzz about this right now. Some are saying it will be wrapped up in the Health Care Reform Bill.


Thoughts??

[Heretik]

Unions had a place once upon a time... that time is not now

[blurry]

We had a meeting about this at work a few months ago-I think it sucks that you would be required to join even if you voted not to unionize.  We had a 60 minute sermon from corporate telling us why unionizing would not be a good thing, and for our store, I agree!

[Heretik]

Unions are out to get money... there are now already precautions in place for employees rights.

Employees are nolonger being taken advantage of the way that they once were... at least not at the level being discussed.

Unionizing would only serve to put more money in the pockets of the unions and out of the pockets of the employee and company.

[Sotxter]

There is already something in place to guarantee the fair treatment of employees its called the EEOC or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

http://www.eeoc.gov/

I agree that the time for Unions has passed.  Quite frankly they have been a huge contributor in ruining the American auto industry.

[Heretik]

Unions are becoming the very embodiment of the things they were once protecting the employees from

[Badger]

Speaking as someone who constantly anaylizes cost for refineries....

Union workers are paid more and have more overhead. They also have the ability to shutdown a plant during critical operations.

Unions are a pain to me.  I almost was requested to spend the night on site because they were fearing a strike and my safety.

[EsenciaDeLaFuerza]

Unions are becoming the very embodiment of the things they were once protecting the employees from

We were Union once upon a time, here at the construction company I run.  Our employees voted the Union out years ago. We pay union rates and don't deduct union fees out of their pay check.  We don't treat them unfairly.  Our employees have no need to be represented in order to obtain fair treatment or what is owed to them.  The Labor Union attempted relentlessly for years to get enough signatures from our employees to open a vote, but to no avail.  And coming to present day... people are happy just to have a job. Making it more difficult on employers to employ people is not of benefit to anyone.

[Heretik]

+ billions of fields of flower tits

[blueluvinurse]

When I did travel nursing in California---most hospitals were unionized and the nurses were always striking---I don't know how the stikes benefitted the hospitals or the striking nurses--just seemed, to me, like loss of money for all involved--except, of course, the nurses who the hospitals bussed in from an undisclosed location and handed 10 $100 bills to as they finished their shift. Talk about making some dollah bills!

[originalcourtney]

i was talkin to an old friend about this yesterday oddly enough. i agree with sotxtr adn al both, unions need to go the way of the do-do bird. 

sure a $15K car will end up costing you $25K because the person pressing a button to mold a peice of metal is making $80/hr.

the EEOC is like the ultimate union but without the cost to join or the nasty strikes.

why didnt obama dissolve the U.A.W. while he was busy throwin money at the auto companies. seems logical to me. those ppl are their own worst enemies.

c.

[Heretik]

as a matter of fact... how would our economy be different right now if they had been dissolved 5 years ago?

Food for thought