Union in right to work state

[pcp]

Owners can keep employees for any reason some times the biggest f off keeps their job because they have a likeable personality, not with customers but supervisors and owners themselves

[Pete954]

Have heard good things about the union but still don't think it's right for me here in SoFla. Hope it works out for you Keep us posted to how it goes, you might even change my opinion. Goood luck.

[amarzec]

I agree, union guys make a lot more money. They also live in areas where taxes are higher (cause the city/county guys are union) and everything in general costs more.

The only way i could get a union job is to sell my house, move 500 miles north, find Quido and start mowing his yard. Im sure I wouldnt be good enough anyway. Instead of "look for the union label", Ive about decided to not buy anything union made. Im just tired of the general attitude of some (not all, and not really you, Im just ranting) union guys.

This is not true, at least in my case. I transferred from Local 111 to Local 455 in St. Paul, MN. I started work in the U.P. of Michigan doing Refrigeration. Gas is the highest price of Michigan gas in Marquette. Housing is about the same for a rental, and food is generally more expensive in the U.P.

In your area, you're probably right. This is not true, in my experience. lol If we got paid a living wage, we all never would have joined the Union. Who knows where this is going to go though, because Minnesota is trying for RTW.

Only time will tell.

[cavalieri85]

Have heard good things about the union but still don't think it's right for me here in SoFla. Hope it works out for you Keep us posted to how it goes, you might even change my opinion. Goood luck.

It will be a ways out I hope im making the right decision but I'll let the doubters know what I find

[John Markl]

Right to Work, means that you can't be forced to join a union to keep or obtain a job....it also means that you can negotiate your own terms with you employer....which is great if you're an over-acheiver....but probably not-so-great for underacheivers.

[cavalieri85]

Is anybody ever forced to join a union even if your not in a right to work state couldn't you just work at a non union company

[71CHOPS]

if you go to work for union company, you will be required to join.....here, you become an MES tech.

There are plenty of non union shops......go apply, if they need help, and feel you're qualified, you'll get the job.

I'm starting my apprenticeship....finally.....Union is what you make of it as far as I'm concerned. It can be good, and it can be bad. depends on your attitude, and how you deal with situations. if you know where you want to go, and have the drive to make it happen, you'll be fine. If you just want "a good paying job".....or feel you have to involve yourself with all the political BS, it's gonna be frustrating......very frustrating.

[tlp7]

I live in a non union state. i work hard and have never had a problem getting or keeping a job. i am not sure what people think they need a union for. i went to work in ohio once even the bag boy at the stores had to be union. From what i was told you had no choice to join or not. if you wanted to work you had to join or you would be overlooked for that job. It sounds like the union offers a good education program i am not sure how that works but if you have to pay for it along with other dues it still dosent sound like a good deal to me. from what i here you can be good at your job and not pay your union dues and get fired anyway. so other than making some fat cats wallet bigger what are you getting out of the union.

[RoBoTeq]

I was once fired and when I asked why he said no reason just have to part ways. I said you have to give me a reason. He replied no I don't this is a right to work state and can do what I want. Is this true

This has nothing to do with a state being a right to work state. Pennsylvania is not a right to work state, but an employer can let you go without telling you anything other than "your services are no longer required". Unless you feel that, and can prove, that you have been discriminated against due to age, race, gender or other reasons covered under the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws, you have no right to be told why you were let go. States that have this condition are called "At Will" states. They can let you go; "At Will".

If you belong to a labor union in an At Will state, the labor union can cause trouble for the company.

[cavalieri85]

Well that particular employer I found out later sought me out and hired me as a temporary need during busy times but did not tell me that. He moved me and my family 400 miles and 6 months later that was it. I was out of a job and money cuse I had just moved half way across the state with my 1 year old and pregnant wife. I was furious when I found that out. If I had done something wrong ok. But all I did was work my a#% off and share my knowledge with his current staff to be let go. Why would an employer do something of that nature. I mean to hire a guy with no intention of it being long term knowing he is relocating and someone that has a family to boot . It still burns me up to this day.

[flange]

I would love for all of the people who claim to make more money working open shop, to do a side by comparison of total package with their union counterparts. Thats right, there are some companies out there who do pay equal to or slightly higher wages, but lets talk total package. Healthcare, retirement, annuity. Put all the cards n the table and lets go.
Around here, there are a few shops who pay union scale for open shop guys. Those very same shops then have deuctions from payroll for healthcare. This can be from a few hundred, to several thousand per quarter, depending upon how their healthcare plans are setup. Then, they have to contribute to their 401k plans, since there is no pension or annuity. As a famous character once said....show me the money!

I do business with both open shop and union companies all of the time in our area, and know many of the owners personally. This I can tell you....The owners of open shop companies have nicer cars in the driveway, bigger beach houses, and cry louder about being poor than their union counterparts. So, the men think the boss is poor, and he lives two blocks closer to the beach than the union shop owner. yup, the open shop guys are doing well by their bosses, takking less pay so he can pocket more!!

[valdelocc]

I live in a non union state. i work hard and have never had a problem getting or keeping a job. i am not sure what people think they need a union for. i went to work in ohio once even the bag boy at the stores had to be union. From what i was told you had no choice to join or not. if you wanted to work you had to join or you would be overlooked for that job. It sounds like the union offers a good education program i am not sure how that works but if you have to pay for it along with other dues it still dosent sound like a good deal to me. from what i here you can be good at your job and not pay your union dues and get fired anyway. so other than making some fat cats wallet bigger what are you getting out of the union.

I live in a union state, "I work hard and never had a problem getting or keeping a job", I need the union to bargain together with my union brothers for better pay and benefits, if I go to work for a non-union shop and ask them to allow me to join the union, they fire my behind on the spot
I pay my unions dues happily, besides bonding with fellow brothers and sharing common interests, I know they got my back and when I need help I know where to go.
I'm also RSES and ASHRAE member,I pay their dues too cause I'm a tradesman for life, this is as good as it gets for me.

[Jigjoe]

I live in a non union state. i work hard and have never had a problem getting or keeping a job. i am not sure what people think they need a union for. i went to work in ohio once even the bag boy at the stores had to be union. From what i was told you had no choice to join or not. if you wanted to work you had to join or you would be overlooked for that job. It sounds like the union offers a good education program i am not sure how that works but if you have to pay for it along with other dues it still dosent sound like a good deal to me. from what i here you can be good at your job and not pay your union dues and get fired anyway. so other than making some fat cats wallet bigger what are you getting out of the union.

It doesn't sound like a good deal as compared to what? A university / tech school? I'd rather pay the UA through dues to give me an education vs paying thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of dollars to a tech school who 'guarantees' me job placement after I give them all my money... I mean graduate!

BTW, there is no charge for going to school with the UA. Everything comes from the dues that you pay. So its not, say, $4000 for one year + the dues.