I'm a union steward and in my workplace, I am very pro-union. However, unions are not always the answer.
1. Unions only have the power agreed upon both sides in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Master Agreement (MA), or Contract. Call it what you will. While unions dither over contracts, you can be fired. Picket? Well, since the union does not have a contract, they do not have any representational rights for you. Walk out and picket? Well, as far as the employer is concerned you have abandoned your job and can easily hire and replace you. Do you really believe that Target would roll over and agree to a contract as you seem to describe?
2. I've looked over many CBAs, MAs and contracts. Usually stewards can only be present during discipline meetings. In those instances, you can ask for representation and usually the meeting must wait for them to be present or rescheduled. You can ask for a certain steward, but most contracts state ANY steward will do, so if a steward is available but not the one you requested, tough.
3. Unions usually can't do shit for you for conduct problems. Mouth off? Too bad. Bad work history/constantly calling in and/or not showing up? Tough.
4. Seldom do unions prevent passing of costs of health insurance off to employees. As bad as everyone thinks their premiums are, you only pay the tip of the iceberg. The corporation picks up the vast majority of it - which is why they try to reduce the number of employees who qualify for said benefits. Corporate survival. Sad but true. Unions cannot stop them.
5. Unions cannot control "business needs", including staffing, pay levels, etc. Overtime issues, advancement, and things like that would have to be negotiated.
6. Union at an impasse with management? OK, now it likely becomes an FLRA issue. Going before those boards can take years.
Still want a union?
Nobody said unions were perfect.
They aren't superheros that make everything okay.
1) Work slowdowns have been shown to do as well as walkouts. The "I'm working exactly to spec method". If every worker is doing it there isn't much the company can do except a lockout which puts the burden on the company.
2) I was talking about disciplinary meetings. Anytime the boss calls someone into a room, they get representation. If nothing else it means they can't force you to do things against your best interest.
3) And, of course, if you are a dick you will get fired.
The union won't protect you on that, despite what all the bad propaganda pumped out by the Koch brothers.
Unions don't protect awful teachers or keep dangerous truckers on the road.
All of that stuff is just right wing talking points and in the case of the teachers, I know from experience, lazy administrators who don't want to do the proper paperwork.
4) Some unions handle the insurance themselves taking the companies control over what is paid away. I was lucky as a kid with epilepsy to be on my fathers Carpenter's Union insurance because it was top of the line. You do pay higher union dues but the company does pay for it as well.
5) They do help to keep those business needs from breaking people. I had been hit by a car and was in deep financial trouble when I came to work at the grocery store. I hadn't been there for a couple of weeks when my kids called to tell me that got home from school and the power had been turned off. I didn't have anyway of paying the power company to turn it back on. The union gave me the money out of its emergency fund. Unions take care of their people.
6) Companies have been working hard to make them weaker for decades and if their members won't stand up, it limits what they can do.
The companies hire special teams of lawyers (Jackson Lewis is a big one) who specialize in taking down unions.
These guys fly around the country with private jets, jumping in when there is a possibility of a union starting or getting called in to crush a union that looks weak.
If you are interested in a good article on the subject check this out.
Unionbusting Confidential - http://inthesetimes.com/article/3326/unionbusting_confidential/
There is a reason so many people in this generation hate unions.
A bunch of very rich people have been working to make you feel that way.
h and can we get the "open avail" option for future offers?- you haven't ever used that.-but we need it to be able to further use your services!-. now imagine if you will every person treated their life like a business does, no one would work retail and many of us would have a better work experience and hours. america will never go back to unions because im surrounded by people who are "yes" people and then dont even accomplish what they agree to in the end. unions won't save us, standing up without a centralized target for the bastards to hit will work. but everyone refuses to do so because their comfy. maybe its just from my construction and factory days but back then (a decade ago pre crash) i worked with men and women who if we were treated like we are now would have ALL left, job security or not. but after the crash im seeing timid people replacing them.for god sakes im only in my mid 30's and i feel like society is falling apart, shit or get off the pot. (a bit aggressive but i hear 18 and 19 year olds at work bitch but never tell their bosses or anyone really. tired of hearing it).
