Anyone else involved in union activism? Job stewards?
4
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I was the adjunct union rep before I was full-time and travelled downstate once a month for eight months a year. That's about a 6-9 hour drive, depending on where they met. After a couple of years and getting caught in numerous snow storms one direction or the other, I suggested we progress to televised or electronic meetings for safety, expediency, and cost-management reasons. This was about 2007, but the suggestion was met with excuses--can't be done, too much trouble, etc. I suggested Google Hang-Out, but that was still met with resistance. Although I didn't make it an issue, I disliked the money side of being a rep. "You won't get paid for that" was one frequent refrain as well as my feeling guilty at the expense of the hotel choices, menu offered, and freebies distributed. I knew how difficult it was to pay the dues on a part-time salary and resented what I considered squandering of my and other's money, yet in a closed shop, we needed a union. I finally gave the role up to someone who had fewer qualms than I had. Many times, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't.
EllenDale
Level 7
Feb 1, 2018
3
Our biggest concern with televising or streaming our meetings is the ability for someone to record it and share with managers. We voted the idea down for security reasons.
Union officers have a hard row to hoe. I think they should be well compensated.
@Roxietech Well founded concerns or unsubstantiated paranoia?
I currently have similar problem being expected to travel 600 kilometres four times a year to attend meeting in order as an unpaid volunteer to educate citizens in Elder Abuse. I am not liked because i constantly point out that a lot of elder abuse is perpetrated by indifferent and abusive governments. That however is not legislated against. It is a case of more "set citizen against citizen" family against family".
@FrayedBear well founded. Our members have the ability to be promoted to management within the company meaning they have to leave the union once that happens. If they were to take recordings with them, they could share devastating details that could be used against us at negotiations for future contracts. There have been instances of members using screenshots of other members comments on social media in order to gain favor with managers when they got promoted. For example, someone called out sick, then posted on social media that they were out at a sports event, someone captured it and shared with managers. Not smart for the employee who posted it, but proof that our own will betray us when they get promoted.
retired now, but card carrying ACLU ...
Buddha
Level 8
Feb 1, 2018
2
ha... thanks.
Regularly attend ATU 1005 (bus company up here in the Twin Cities) meetings and have been a voting clerk and gathered signatures for petitions at bus stops around the cities. Walked the picket lines for 2 strikes caused by Republican governors. Try and spread the word of the benefits of unions but not always easy with the current Koch funded climate. You?
kmdskit3
Level 8
Jan 31, 2018
2
As a recovering Republican (I consider myself an independent now), I used to think unions were the devil. Talking to some of the old guys around my office, they used to earn 1/5th of what we earn now that we have unionized. The pay literally quintupled about 7 years ago when they got union backing. I'm not complaining about unions anymore.
CidNickel
Level 5
Jan 31, 2018
2
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