Would a Union be good in a call center?

[ZokesPro]

There have been a few trade union activists hanging around our company trying ot get my company unionised.

Now obviously our company is against it but they only mention the bad sides of having a union and I don't think they are even telling us the truth about that.

We hear rumours that if we get a union than we will get an increase in wages and job security. They both sound good cause we aren't getting paid a whole lot and they fire people for almost anything.

So here it is, is a union a good thing?

[Joel]

One bad side though is that those who do deserve to be fired then are usually not.

Plus you pay in all those dues and if the Union does decide to strike then you get little or nothing while the Union bosses still get their big paychecks and usually what you get in return for the strike never makes up for what you lost in the mean time.

Joel

[KvHagedorn]

I think if a company is making big bucks and giving all to the CEO while they guys on the floor make 1/1000th of his pay, the company deserves to be unionized. If you think you and your co-workers are being treated unfairly, I would say check out the union. If others in the union are happy with the relationship I would say go for it.

[ZokesPro]

Hmm, so far the only reason to get a union in my company would be to get more pay.

Joel: That's already happening without a union so the situation won't be any worse.

KvHagedorn: About co-worker relations, that's interesting because I have NO clue how that situation will turn out, it can go in all sorts of weird directions. So far we have good relations between managers and the pawns (the techs on the floor). If we have problems they usully end up solving it pretty good. But I would like the extra pay. Apparently we are getting paid about 4$ less an hour than we should. but then again witha union we might not be able to get more pay.

Damn, it's not an easy decision.

[The Rock]

Any extra pay you get might go toward union dues as well; unions ALWAYS get their slice of the pie. I'm happy being non-unionized, but I have a great job with the RCMP, so our situations are probably quite a bit different. Life in the private sector is tough nowadays. Hope it all works out for ya man.

Bart

[Wombat]

Unions can help or hurt. Pay is one thing, but unions tend to be more helpful if there are other kinds of abuses on the job: work without breaks, overtime without pay, job hazards, harassment, etc.

In high school I worked at a supermarket that was a "closed shop," which means that ONLY union members could work there. It was part of the union/store contract, so that scabs couldn't be brought in. Joining the union was like $75, plus $6.06 a paycheck. I made significantly better pay than my friends at other stores, and couldn't be fired for bullshit reasons, and we had things like clean breakrooms, guaranteed pay rates (no, I'm sorry, but times are tough, and we can't give you that raise), and safe workplaces.

If all you want is more money, watch out. Unions work best when the workers aren't easily replaceable.

[Dilitante1]

Unions are a mixed bag for sure.

The dues paid go to
1. pay local officials
2. pay national dues
3. a "war chest" to pay legal fees for big grievances that go to arbitration ($1000 to file)
4. pay for union hall rental for monthly meetings

joining fees are described in the local charter, as well as officers' wages and any operating rules that they enforce ie: closed shop etc....

the real strength in a union is the people...if the company knows you wont strike for fear of loss etc...you have no levarage to bargain with

[Elie]

I was in th union and hated every minute of it
I hated the seniority issues, striking and the fact that lazy bastards never do any of the work yet get payed more!
Plus you get some big ole fat bastard barely passed grade 5 doing all the negotiations on your behalf not knowing what the heck he or she ends up saying. NO THANKS!

Once I became Management, I loved it
The level of inteligance was higher and you are responsible to get your work done. You manage your own time etc.

I will never ever work for a unionized shop ever again, even if it's the last job on earth

Cheers,
Elie

[Dilitante1]

another thing to remember is that the union will represent the working people in a manufacturing environment NOT the office staff automatically unless they wish it...which will complicate contract negotiations as you'll need to keep pay charts separate for floor/office people....and the pay difference might cause headaches between the two....

$.02 from a former VP of UPIU/PACE local

[ZokesPro]

This union thing doesn't sound so good after all. I think it'll complicate things WAY more than they are now.

So far I have a neutral stance on the whole thing. I'm just getting the facts straight.