Unions........

[tbomn]

I know there has been a lot of debate as to whether unions are good or bad. So, I just thought I would post this seeing my son-in-law is an apprentice union pipefitter. Today they went to work, today they will not be paid for the work they do. Today they are donating their time and money to help out the low income elderly folks in our community. They are going into the elderly persons home, they check all the plumbing, heating, and ventilation systems. If there are repairs that need to be done, they (the pipefitters union) buys the parts, repairs the system, and asks for nothing in return. My son-in-law said that those people were so appreciative, and he saw so many smiles, and heard so many thank yous that he really go emotional at times during the day.....he plans to do it again in a couple weeks, and then again next year. IMHO, some people think unions are good, not just me.

[cjbrown..]

True.
Teamster Local 957

[worker]

YEP!! It's about people.

Some day i hope their deeds come back to them twice fold.

God bless.

[jimmy4218]

That's great to hear. I believe in Karma and these guys should be getting a heckuva good return. If anything else, it's easy to sleep at night with a clear consience like that.

[about time]

>True.
> Teamster Local 957

Teamsters Local 957 at work!

Teamsters Local Hit with Federal Charges for Violating UPS Workers’ Rights with Unlawful Forced Union Dues Seizures

Local UPS employee files class action charges to stop union officials’ illegal seizure of forced union dues for politics

[tbomn]

So many to pee on the campfire, and so few to gather the wood.......:shame:

[GF--- XUNION]

They have done this for over 20 years, about the same time every year, the plumbers local 34 in ST. Paul is also involved in it as several others. It is a good thing they do.

[j roc]

Organize or die

[JLucPicard]

Excellent job and they should be commended.

And this is in no way meant to diminish what they are doing or anything, but where I worked before (not a union place) they had a Paint-A-Thon weekend at least once a year and did basically the same thing - volunteering workers and materials to paint and do minor repairs for elderly and other citizens who can't do the work themselves.

All sectors step up in their own way and help people out and I commend all of them!

[Ristorapper]

Amen brothers

local 957
Bismarck ND

[Risor 39]

A New World Order=Non union wages.Third world countries with child labor for just about free.And on and on.Kind of sounds like the USA before Unions doesn't it?

[KHedquist]

Pipefitter 539:rock-on:


GOOD LUCK and THANK YOU, moreyes <'{{^}}< :cheers:

http://www.walleyecentral.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=106750

[HABITAT]

I help with habitat for humanity building homes. I am not a union member. Helping others does not make a union good. It makes the people who are helping good.

[Big Deal]

I had a broken clock that was right TWICE a day.

[Limiterr]

Proud member of the IBEW.

[JMKC]

Member of GCIU JJ

[18Fisher]

I am a proud memeber of the Pipefitters Local 539 and i have participated in this HEATS ON program for 4 years now. When you go a house that you can barely get through the cobwebs in a basement that hasnt been set foot in for over a year it really lets you know that you are making a difference.

For example: the homes that my partner and I went to this year were in north minneapolis. some of you may not know but this is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in town. Right off of broadway and hwy.94 The first elderly lady was very grateful that we do this for people like herself. She is trying to live on social security checks and doing whatever she can to make ends meet. Her husband just died 3 years ago and left her nothing. She has lived in the same house for 27 years and said to us " I only have 5 more years left and it will be mine!" Now anybody else at her age would probably be in a nursing home but she is not going to try and live off the system. she wants to make it on her own.

Every year the participation numbers grow. If you ask me that is a good sign and I hope they continue to grow.

Thanks for your time

[larrym]

I've been associated with Easter Seals here in Iowa for a number of years as a board member. We operate a large camp, day care services and daily care and training services for the disabled. The single largest contributer to our efforts are the local unions through the work they do to keep up our buildings and camp. We could not do what we do without them and most of it is done without any publicity. We appreciate the heck out of them!!!

[reo]

American by birth, Union by choice!!

IBEW Local 38

[tbomn]

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/15594630.htm

[jimmy4218]

Operating Engineer local 170! :rock-on:

[bubba800]

Thats nice but it doesn't earn any special status. That is what alot of our employees do, volunteer and make free repairs, paint, build for Habitat for Humanity.

All without a Union.

[tbomn]

No special status was asked for, just information. Don't get so defensive.......:shame:

[unlogged bubba800]

I'm not defensive.
You gave the impression of Union chest pounding while there were hundreds of volunteers out today just in one town continuing clean up, donating food and drink after a tornado(Rogers, MN) last week. Nobody mentioned or cared if they were paying dues.

[jimmy4218]

nobody knew- apparently except you. Maybe you should have said something before-Huh?

[cxtx]

American by birth, non-union by choice because I know what is good for me. My company is non-union and proud of it. We also do United Way campaigning, Make a wish, habitat for humanity, helping hands (clean-ups, free labor and material for local community projects, etc), plus all kinds of other fundraisers and projects to help the community. It is great to see your son helping out and that is no doubt due to a good upbringing but to thump the chest for the union is barking up the wrong tree. There are a lot of kind hearted people out there but there aren't a lot of kind hearted unions out there.

[Another Misinterpretation]

Kind Hearted is for People who are cogisant of others who are less fortunate.

Generosity and Kind Hearted qualities are great if you are in the position to do so.

Unions are for...
A:) Codes (standard ways to do things)
B:) Employees and rankings
C:) Protection of Management seeking cheaper labor to save a buck.

Sounds a little rough....but it is the truth!

If People can cheat someone to make a gain or look good, bet today that most will do it and hurt someone else.

[So What]

What bothers me about this post is that it seems like the unions are doing this good will for political reasons only. If you are doing charity work I do not believe that you should be pounding your chest and asking for aknaledgments(sp-really bad!)

[hgmeyer]

Tell you what folks... I'm non-union in my current profession. But, I was a union officer for a time in my former...LEO. I have seen the spectrum... Not all things that accompany a union are good or bad... But, the people are what are the key ingredient to "good or bad".

My own experience was good and I worked with a lot of very good people. Later, I had the good fortune to be a volunteer with our local Little League. We were in a new area and had new but unlit playing fields. Because the Electrician's Union brought out their apprentices and smoothed the way for a lot of impoortant contacts... Contacts that got "donations"... We were able to install high quality lighting on our fields for a fraction of what it would have cost. That is the definition of "community"... Volunteers from the neighborhood and the Electrician's Union worked together as a "community" for the betterment of that community.

[DiveGal]

How did you interpret what that local did as being for political reasons? It was a post from a father(in-law?) who was proud of the fact that this work and materials were being donated to people in need.

The fact that you may disagree with unions in general or if you have a problem with a particular union or local, shouldn't in any way shape your opinion of people OR unions helping people in need.

Those of you who hate unions for whatever reason - chill out. It was a good thing that they did - you can't deny that.

[union]

Speaking of unions

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?Feed=AP&Date=20060922&ID=6046211

Union YES!!!

[Fishful Thinker]

Proud member CEP Local 324.

[bigshooter unlogged]

i am a teamster. i give over $600 a year to a political party that i neither support nor respect.

i have seen first hand how "for the laborer" unions are.

in the last 5 years we have been forced to give up more and more of the things our brothers fought so hard to aquire. if you guys think that pensions are forever - wake up. we lost ours 6 months ago and lets face it, whats a union without a pension?.

i got the answer, a democratic finance vaccum.

don't get me wrong, i think unions have done many great things for the american worker. but the unions don't work for US anymore, WE work for THEM.

-bs.

[bigshooter unlogged]

http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/unionPolitics.cfm

[Ex-union worker]

The unions are notorious for opposing technical innovation and invention because they are afraid it will cost them union jobs. Rule #1 of the unions self-preservation.

I typically don't purchase union made products due to where their political contributions are sent. Unions are a drain on the economy. Millions of dollars are wasted on union dues and their support of political parties. Many of the newer growing industrial companies are building their plants in non-union cities.

Painting a toilet a new color does not do much for it. It is still a toilet.

[Clifnotes]

I have worked in two Unions before I went into business for myself. One was in Iowa and one was in NY. I feel both were corrupt and one I benefited from that.. My biggest complaint is that how low union production is. We had an “oiler” for a crane that was paid big money to work for a very short time in the morning. Seemed like less than an hour and sat all day after that. Most of those jobs were because they had connections within the people who ran the union.
For myself, I could do all the work required of me in an hour or so. (cost plus job putting in a G.E. plant. The rest of the time I was supposed to look busy. Walk around with a pipe visiting friends and hiding whenever possible. As a young guy I first tried to work a lot.
I was pulled aside several times and told to slow down. I guess I didn’t understand until a guy named Vinny pulled me aside for REAL and asked if I’d like a wrench aside my head cause I was making the others look bad and finishing the job too soon. We spent nearly 2 years on that job. We could have ended in months. Actually at a certain time we were told to hurry up and wrap it up. (there was about ¼ more of the completion of the plant) THAT got done really fast. I was told that there was a pay off to the union heads to complete it because GE was going to loose expensive contracts. Amazing how fast we got it completed. How I got that job? My neighbor was the Union President and told me to show up. I had no training in plumbing but he said I didn’t have to. When I got there the shop steward told me to wait. My neighbor the Pres showed up and said to follow him. He took me by the hand (I felt REAL strange about this) and took me for a long walk to my foreman. Seemed like everyone stopped whatever they were doing and stared at us. I found that I could do no wrong (except for Vinny) apparently he wasn’t there on that day didn’t know about this and later when told about my (I guess) protected status he profusely apologized. (But I got the point)

[reo]

Non-union contractors average an 8% difference (higher or lower) in bids against union contractors in my area. Our scale is about $32/hour plus another $10 in fringes. A high paid non-union mechanic doing the same work that the contractor won by being 8% low (average) gets $22/per hour (most make less) and pays for health care. Where does that $20/per hour go????

Let me be clear. The union contractor deserves to make money and does or he would do something else for a living but when the wage is collectively bargained the cash gets distributed in manner that is fair to the worker and the employer.

If my international president who represents over 700,000 people makes $500k/ per year God bless him. I wonder what the CEO that has 700,000 employees makes?? Hmmm.

Organized Labor, The Folks that Brought You the Weekend

[jimmy4218]

I have to make union dues so I can afford to support millions on welfare- an organization that's more screwed up than anything. Just a thought.