Archived Unionize

[Panna Jotts]

No, because I value having a job. I recognize that unions did amazing things in the past, like guaranteeing breaks and reducing the work week to 40 hours, but in today's world I just don't feel like it's worth paying the dues.

 

[commiecorvus]

Then all the old-timers with more power and say get what they want, at the expense of new employees. Then you get in situations where the new people that get hired, are walking into shitty contracts. Something has to change, but it doesn't involve the union.

The contracts are three years long.
If the new employees get active, their needs will be met as well.

 

[jackandcat]

This topic surely will be watched by corporate's social-media spies! Ever since being founded 57 years ago, Target has prided itself on being union-free, as has Walmart which was founded in the same year. P.S. Every so often, you'll see strikes break out at supermarket chains (many of which are unionized), those strikes can last quite a while with no paycheck. Corporate will surely remind you about this....

 

[can't touch this]

Weird factoid about my other DC job at a different retailer: they make new hires watch a cheesy propaganda video that tries to dissuade you from joining a union.....but they follow it up with "but if you REALLY REALLY want to join we won't stop you...*long flustered sigh*" and yes, they have two different handbooks for non-union and union employees. Several people in my department are union and have been members for 20+ years so it is apparently possible to join and keep your job. 👀👀👀

 

[NPC]

The contracts are three years long.
If the new employees get active, their needs will be met as well.

'Good Old Days' Traced Back To Single Weekend In 1948

BOSTON—A study published Monday by a group of linguists, historians, and semioticians has proved the concept of “the good old days” can be traced back to the weekend of June 19, 1948. “After extensive interviews, analysis of personal correspondence, and repeated viewings of that week’s Ed...

www.theonion.com

...and the unions benefited everyone and there was absolutely no way it got exploited.

 

[commiecorvus]

Unions aren't perfect.
They can get corrupt, weak, and they can get sucked up into the companies control.
They only work if the members are active and keep the union strong.

The big problem is that huge corporations have spent millions of dollars to make unions look bad.
And people have bought into it, hook, line, and sinker.

 

[NPC]

Unions aren't perfect.
They can get corrupt, weak, and they can get sucked up into the companies control.
They only work if the members are active and keep the union strong.

The big problem is that huge corporations have spent millions of dollars to make unions look bad.
And people have bought into it, hook, line, and sinker.

I have a lot of friends in animation working to get unions in their studios. I fully support them. I don't support the fight for unions in retail.

 

[commiecorvus]

I have a lot of friends in animation working to get unions in their studios. I fully support them. I don't support the fight for unions in retail.

Game Development is another area that really needs a strong union, the same way as animators.
They really get screwed.

That said, there is no reason that retail can't organize just as well.

 

[FlowTeamChick]

Nope. Even though I understand the history of unions and how they accomplished a lot that really did need doing, I'd rather not have one at Target. My experience working alongside union employees, when I've not been part of the union myself (long story, has to do with working for state government in different capacities) did not impress me. Also, what I've heard from friends in the area who work or worked at a unionized retailer wasn't terribly positive either, and they were speaking from the perspective of being members. So, no thanks.

 

[Tessa120]

How do you tell the difference between a chemist and an electrician? Ask them to pronounce "unionized".

Seriously, I've seen nothing but good from unions, and I saw really, really bad fallout when a union was removed from a workplace.

 

[Aredhel]

I worked for a company half unionized. That wasn’t awkward.
That said look at all the things tms have lost in the past 8-10 years. Opportunities for advancement, decent insurance, hours, flexibility in scheduling and just an overall sense of pride in the job not to mention every day stability. Today there is a tremendous advantage of communication- plans can be shared instantly. Coordination nation wide is possible. Just sayin’.

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

I honestly believe that a lot of people have no idea what a union does or how it works. They rely on hearsay or the Target anti union video. Unions work extremely well in some workplaces and not so good in others. Its really important to actually educate yourself and see it is something that you would like to support and become involved in. Just don't take the word of others and hearsay. I did work in a grocery store where it was required to join the union. The only benefit I can honestly remember was I could not be pulled out of the bakery to back up the check lanes! I do know that thanks to the unions you get overtime, you get breaks, it built the middle class and you don't see 12 year olds working along among other things

 

[bikebryan]

One of the things people who aren't involved with unions don't understand is the importance of negotiations.
If you have a good union and you are active in it so as to make your needs heard, when it comes time to negotiate your contract, the union will stand up for you.
Don't assume the union will do what you want, don't assume they are going to handle things.
You have to be involved.
Go to the meetings, tell them what your priorities are, make sure you are heard.
Yeah it is extra effort but that is the whole point of having a union in the first place so your voice can be heard.
Use it.

Good advice. My local has 300-400 dues paying members, but at a membership meeting maybe 20 show up. Usually you only hear from members if they need representation. We even represent non-members of the bargaining unit as required under Title 5.

 

[Tessa120]

My daughter is in a union, she works at a grocery store. She had a clopening recently, but the night before they had to let her off early because someone screwed up the schedule and gave her less than the required 10 hours between shifts. It'd be nice if some organization made Target give 10 hours off between closing and opening.

 

[Fyi]

There’s so many problems at the store level now, everyday seems worse then the last and no one wants to do anything about it.

 

[KindaOverIt]

Unions aren’t perfect but I’ll side with one over a multi-billion dollar company any day of the week. Don’t see how any normal, hard working person could shill for a corporation that doesn’t give a fuck about them.

Spoiler—companies are in business to make money, and a lot of them are against unions because they stop them from exploiting their employees and making more money.

Spit out the Kool-Aid.

 

[Signingmum]

The contracts are three years long.
If the new employees get active, their needs will be met as well.

Some are yearly. Depends on your union.

 

[commiecorvus]

Some are yearly. Depends on your union.

Good point.
I should not have made such a general statement.

 

[Targetedbullseye]

Unions are at a low in membership, only 14.8 million Americans belong to one, about 10% of the population. And you have 26 states that are right to work states which means even if you some how got organized, people in the right to work states can not be forced to join and pay dues. unions are dinosaurs now, better to get a job with profit sharing.

 

[garbage]

Here we go again with these union debates. I’m feeling lazy though and will just sit back and like @commiecorvus posts.

 

[Softsoul]

It would depend on what the union offered. I was in an actor’s union and a stripper’s union. Pluses and minuses. Know the affiliates. Sometimes sympathy strikes are expected. That can get difficult.

Lol what the fuck

 

[Times Up]

. And you have 26 states that are right to work states which means even if you some how got organized, people in the right to work states can not be forced to join and pay dues

And these same folks partake in the Union's benefits and can request the Union represent them if they get their butt in trouble.

 

[Aredhel]

W

Lol what the fuck

Thats what she said...😝

 

[commiecorvus]

Lol what the fuck

L.A.'s Exotic Dancers Are Launching a Labor Movement

A California Supreme Court decision changed their classification; now exotic dancers are ready to unionize

www.lamag.com

"In the Spring of 2018, the California Supreme Court issued a seismic ruling clarifying and restricting what constitutes an independent contractor.
After decades of being classified as contractors, exotic dancers are now considered strip club employees, which means they’ll enjoy laws governing minimum wage, discrimination, sexual misconduct, worker compensation, and other protections."

In California, Las Vegas and Canada, Strippers unions have been very successful at improving the lives and working conditions of dancers.

 

[Aredhel]

Much but not all of my stripping was in a dark room or at the presses as club stripping got lean. 😉 My acting if you could call it that was covered. I was a radiation victim, a couple of zombies, and a bleacher bum. Pretty much my lines were “Aaahhh” then “Aaahhrrgh” and finally “Yaaahh”. ☺️