The Fall f the United States, The End

[Jeff Niceswanger]

Originally Posted by SStockDart

Well Jeff, you knew I would have to disagree. Many got those benefits and more without having to pay a union to do it for you. I'm sure you will get all of your union dues back someday. Cough cough

Have a good day buddy..

Well again look at the facts. You were in management and I understand your point of view. But I was a grunt trying to make a living working for a very rich company. Our sister non-union plants made considerable less money, had less benefits and working rules and had a much worse turnover rate. I mentioned the year I was on strike. That particular contract Ralston had purchased a cookie company, cracker company and mayonnaises company. We sit down expecting a normal stressless contract. Instead we were told the company was "Getting out of the Pension business" and stopping contributing. We walked out for a month in the middle of Ohio winter. Caught my gloves on fire a couple times hanging them over the burn barrels. But like I said earlier, I retired at 59 1/2 because of that strike,, with company health insurance for both me and my wife, my in tact defined pension plus a nice 401. Non union SISTER plants had none of that.
On my dues, I was the President so my dues were voted on and paid by the local out of our kitty. All of the officers got their dues paid and the financial secretary got more. The reason was he was the only one that if he did his job wrong could be arrested for it. It's just a well known fact than Union Jobs are usually better than non union ones. Not always, but what keeps the non union job's honest is the unions pay scales. Without them it would get worse for everybody. Tickle down does not work when it comes to pay. Not really.. and the Republicans hate the fact that we can bargain.
If you happen to have a great company to work for that makes it NOT nessicary to look for help by bargaining, then don't get a union. But don't outlaw or run the existing 10 % of the nation that is unionized out of business deliberately.
I miss our talks..
Jeff