Unions. They have positive points, and they have negative points. The current issue, regarding the union drivers wanting/threatening to strike, is a huge negative about unions. (Saturday article, “Talks between drivers, Waste Management break down.”)
In today’s economy, the high jobless rate, uncertain times ahead, etc., and management has offered these union workers more on the upcoming contract. Well, how dare you threaten to strike. But I know, I have worked side by side with union workers. The company I worked for was non-union, the union we worked with side by side was the Teamsters at the docks in Seattle. And I gotta tell ya, for the most part they have that “Jimmy Hoffa attitude.” (Get one dog barking and then all the dogs work themselves into a barking frenzy.)
We had special trucks that the union did not have to bring loads to the barge. The company I worked for company leased space from the Port of Seattle. Revenue there. Union workers (Teamsters) were working because the non-union company that I worked for created jobs for both sides. But, oh no. The teamsters said we were robbing the union of a driver job, regarding those special trucks we had. So guess what. The union had a guy and/or woman “ride” with our truck driver and we had to pay the union full wages for the “ride along.”
Ever drive by the Boeing union workers office not to far from the Everett Boeing plant? Bronze statutes of burning barrels with picketing union workers. What does that tell you… Nuff said.
Paul Pederson
Marysville
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