It seems to me that Unions are needed when dealing with large companies such as shipping companies, for instance. Also, in construction, when doing big jobs for really big companies like Bechtel Corporation (they build the world man) who build things like federal missile sites, etc, a Union is needed. One of the things that has really hurt big companies is not the high wages and benefits that Unions command for the workers, but rather the frivolous lawsuits that Union members have leveled against these big companies.
And now, something in favor of the Companies has been done. Basically, when working for any company that is big and is Union, there has been more and more requirements for each worker to take "mini-seminars" on various safety issues. Issues like "ladder safety", "trips and falls", "electrical safety", "sexual harrassment", "scaffold safety", etc, etc. And after one has completed these various "courses", that one then has to sign what basically amounts to a "release form" which relinquishes the employer from any fault since the employee had been properly trained and signed his name to said training. This certainly has not stopped all frivolous law suits, but it has helped the companies deal with frivolous law suits to a large degree.
And I am highly in favor of it. When I worked for Bechtel in Delta Junction Alaska at the Fort Greeley Ground Based Missile Defense System,
I spent a whole first day for eight hours taking a safety seminar complete with all of the release forms to fill out before I could begin work the next day. And also, the Company (Bechtel) has on their payroll "Safety Officers" who walk around and make sure that the workers when up high are wearing a safety harness, or that they are wearing their gloves, or that they are wearing their safety glasses at all times. It gets pretty obnoxious, really, but the company has saved millions in law suits by avoiding injuries by spending more to educate and enforce the safety regs. We even did stretch exercises in the morning (at forty below!) like the Japanese. And, it was worth it to me, because I was taking home $2200.00 a week for three months straight. I love working Union....
The wages that many of the unionized workers get is not a problem. They are skilled labor and work well to getting the job done right.
The problem is the work rules and regulations. Having a foreman for every five workers. Buying tools for each job. Restrictions at what they can do. No I can't change that. We need to stop work and wait till the electrician gets here to do 10 minutes of work. Doesn't mater that 8 hours of work time was wasted waiting.
The unions are getting better but still cause more cost problems than what they save.
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dmiller
Garth -- you need to learn to read what (is written) that you quote,
before making statements to the contrary,
that negate what you quoted. :)
(Ps -- I said one thing -- and after quoting it, you assumed I said something else).
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J0nny Ling0
It seems to me that Unions are needed when dealing with large companies such as shipping companies, for instance. Also, in construction, when doing big jobs for really big companies like Bechtel Corporation (they build the world man) who build things like federal missile sites, etc, a Union is needed. One of the things that has really hurt big companies is not the high wages and benefits that Unions command for the workers, but rather the frivolous lawsuits that Union members have leveled against these big companies.
And now, something in favor of the Companies has been done. Basically, when working for any company that is big and is Union, there has been more and more requirements for each worker to take "mini-seminars" on various safety issues. Issues like "ladder safety", "trips and falls", "electrical safety", "sexual harrassment", "scaffold safety", etc, etc. And after one has completed these various "courses", that one then has to sign what basically amounts to a "release form" which relinquishes the employer from any fault since the employee had been properly trained and signed his name to said training. This certainly has not stopped all frivolous law suits, but it has helped the companies deal with frivolous law suits to a large degree.
And I am highly in favor of it. When I worked for Bechtel in Delta Junction Alaska at the Fort Greeley Ground Based Missile Defense System,
( http://www.boeing.com/ids/news/2004/photor...pr_040722n.html )
I spent a whole first day for eight hours taking a safety seminar complete with all of the release forms to fill out before I could begin work the next day. And also, the Company (Bechtel) has on their payroll "Safety Officers" who walk around and make sure that the workers when up high are wearing a safety harness, or that they are wearing their gloves, or that they are wearing their safety glasses at all times. It gets pretty obnoxious, really, but the company has saved millions in law suits by avoiding injuries by spending more to educate and enforce the safety regs. We even did stretch exercises in the morning (at forty below!) like the Japanese. And, it was worth it to me, because I was taking home $2200.00 a week for three months straight. I love working Union....
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GarthP2000
I stand corrected. ((bows))
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ex70sHouston
Lets talk unions in the construction trades.
The wages that many of the unionized workers get is not a problem. They are skilled labor and work well to getting the job done right.
The problem is the work rules and regulations. Having a foreman for every five workers. Buying tools for each job. Restrictions at what they can do. No I can't change that. We need to stop work and wait till the electrician gets here to do 10 minutes of work. Doesn't mater that 8 hours of work time was wasted waiting.
The unions are getting better but still cause more cost problems than what they save.
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