Union Myths

[4.6coupe]

Stanley


To answer your question the only other job like mine is an airline pilot. Im on call 24/7 and I never know when Im going to work. When the phone rings I have 2 hrs to show up to work. I have no set days off. Last year I spent 145 days in a hotel away from my family. On average I see my family about 15 waking hrs a week. On top of that Im licensed by the federal government and Im required to know thousands of rules and regulations that Im tested on all the time and if I dont pass I dont have a job. Lets not forget Im responsible for a train that can be over a mile and a half long and can weigh up to 20000 tons that travels at 70 mph. It aint easy starting and stopping that bitch. Im responsible for over 100 million dollars worth of equipment and cargo everytime I get on a train not to mention the liability to the railroad if I screw up. Plus we are forced to ship the nastiest chemicals on earth because they are banded on highways. So yes Im worth every penny I get paid and I wouldnt do this job for one dollar less.

I'm not a uaw member that tightens nuts all day nor am I a garbage man that works for the city.

The Elevator Union is the same way... and we deserve every penny we make. If anybody else was on the other side of the fence making what we make and have all the health benefits, nobody else would be griping either. To each his own.

[slow99]

If unions are so inefficent how did my industry which is over 150 years old and 100% union have its most profitable year ever in 2009 and 2010 when the rest of the country and world was melting down.

Flawed reasoning... you don't measure efficiency with a gross nominal measurement.

This is all very basic Economics...price floors, deadweight losses, etc.

[FreightTrain]

Stanley


To answer your question the only other job like mine is an airline pilot. Im on call 24/7 and I never know when Im going to work. When the phone rings I have 2 hrs to show up to work. I have no set days off. Last year I spent 145 days in a hotel away from my family. On average I see my family about 15 waking hrs a week. On top of that Im licensed by the federal government and Im required to know thousands of rules and regulations that Im tested on all the time and if I dont pass I dont have a job. Lets not forget Im responsible for a train that can be over a mile and a half long and can weigh up to 20000 tons that travels at 70 mph. It aint easy starting and stopping that bitch. Im responsible for over 100 million dollars worth of equipment and cargo everytime I get on a train not to mention the liability to the railroad if I screw up. Plus we are forced to ship the nastiest chemicals on earth because they are banded on highways. So yes Im worth every penny I get paid and I wouldnt do this job for one dollar less.

I'm not a uaw member that tightens nuts all day nor am I a garbage man that works for the city.

[big_tiger]

We have to compete with a million trucking companies that are willing to haul freight for pennies on the dollar and pay slave wages to their drivers. So no its not a walk in the park. Also railroads have to pay for their own infrastructure and not ride the coat tails of the general public like truckers do. This year my company is spending 3 billion on infrastructure.

Gas tax??? State taxes??? Property taxes???

[FreightTrain]

Maybe because rail is almost a monopoly and there are few competing rail lines servicing the same cities?

We have to compete with a million trucking companies that are willing to haul freight for pennies on the dollar and pay slave wages to their drivers. So no its not a walk in the park. Also railroads have to pay for their own infrastructure and not ride the coat tails of the general public like truckers do. This year my company is spending 3 billion on infrastructure.

[The King]

If unions are so inefficent how did my industry which is over 150 years old and 100% union have its most profitable year ever in 2009 and 2010 when the rest of the country and world was melting down. No two unions are alike so stop lumping all unions and union workers together.

On another note I care as much about Government union workers as I do about the lazy bastards that stand in the unemployment line instead of getting a job which isn't much.
Just like I give two shits about anyone that posts in these threads. Ive got a fucking job and I have real healthcare so yall be sure to let me know how social security works out for yall.

LOL at the smug choo-choo boy.

[slow84lx]

If unions are so inefficent how did my industry which is over 150 years old and 100% union have its most profitable year ever in 2009 and 2010 when the rest of the country and world was melting down.

Maybe because rail is almost a monopoly and there are few competing rail lines servicing the same cities?

[SMEGMA STENCH]

If unions are so inefficent how did my industry which is over 150 years old and 100% union have its most profitable year ever in 2009 and 2010 when the rest of the country and world was melting down. No two unions are alike so stop lumping all unions and union workers together.

On another note I care as much about Government union workers as I do about the lazy bastards that stand in the unemployment line instead of getting a job which isn't much.
Just like I give two shits about anyone that posts in these threads. Ive got a fucking job and I have real healthcare so yall be sure to let me know how social security works out for yall.

Well, I'd have to ask you if you actually think that you do enough work (or sacrifice enough) to earn the pay that you do. To figure out if you are overpaid, anyway. You seem to have something against those that stand in the unemployment line, while at the same time, you are doing the exact same thing in expecting pay that you aren't worth. Do you have some kind of education? Is there something that makes you truly qualified for higher pay? Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, I'm just saying that if you look at all other jobs that are comparable to yours, that don't have unions, you'll find that they make a lot less. And for good reason. Simply put, the job isn't worth more than they're getting paid. If it were, they'd be getting paid more.

Now I'm not opposed to someone getting paid a little more than they are worth, if they are a good employee and the company wants to be good to its people in order to keep them around. Nothing wrong with that. But drastically overpaying their employees? When they can look out the window and see comparable things going on that pay much less? How is that fair to the company? Do they deserve to take a dick in the ass for some reason? Give some kind of explanation other than "I likes moneyz" please. Your bills aren't eligible to be a reason cause you never would have incurred such bills on normal pay.

[Bassics]

Anyone who thinks unions do any good ought to try working in a unionized data processing center.

Yes, there is a very large one here in DFW. AAFES. It is an experience to say the least.

Of course the union protects them from getting sued for killing people with their data, I'm sure. LOL!

Hey Freighttrain, you ever wonder why those very lawyers are not unionized?

[FreightTrain]

Unions are inefficient, there's no arguing that. That being said, I would certainly expect the value-maximizing utility seeker, ceteris paribus, to desire a job for which they're overpaid. Just don't try and justify it with some bullshit.

If unions are so inefficent how did my industry which is over 150 years old and 100% union have its most profitable year ever in 2009 and 2010 when the rest of the country and world was melting down. No two unions are alike so stop lumping all unions and union workers together.

On another note I care as much about Government union workers as I do about the lazy bastards that stand in the unemployment line instead of getting a job which isn't much.
Just like I give two shits about anyone that posts in these threads. Ive got a fucking job and I have real healthcare so yall be sure to let me know how social security works out for yall.

[TexasDevilDog]

What I don't think a lot of the people that voted for it isthat yes they can help fight for your job against some bullshit but if the employers paperwork is right and you have been late to work three times and it's documented the union has to agree to you being fired. Most all that voted for it would be fired quickly.

Paper work is a little more with the union but yes people can be fired. But lazy managers won't do the job to document the problem people.

[slow99]

Unions are inefficient, there's no arguing that. That being said, I would certainly expect the value-maximizing utility seeker, ceteris paribus, to desire a job for which they're overpaid. Just don't try and justify it with some bullshit.

[Forever_frost]

FreightTrain...my union fights for my benefits and pay....for the life i put on the line every day i go to work....i agree 100% with what unions fight for.

Using this logic, the military should be union. could you see us striking for better pay?

[oh1bullitt]

I work for Eagle Aviation Services. We are a contract maintenance company on American Eagle Airlines for AMR Corp who owns us, American Eagle Airlines, and American Airlines. Because we are not American Eagle and only do their maintenance we are not union like they are. I look at the American eagle employees that are union and my benefits are the same as theirs. Yes my pay is a little lower but I live in Abilene. I would expect someone living in Dallas to be paid more that me. It is more expensive to live there. I don't see any need for the union to be in aircraft maintenance. They are trying to get the union in here and by the grace of God we kept them out by like 20 votes.

What I don't think a lot of the people that voted for it isthat yes they can help fight for your job against some bullshit but if the employers paperwork is right and you have been late to work three times and it's documented the union has to agree to you being fired. Most all that voted for it would be fired quickly.

All that to say I'm against the union especially in public jobs.

[SMEGMA STENCH]

Id lose 20k right off the top. A manager at my job pays 3x more for insurance than I do. Plus they have a 5k deductible per family member. Mine is zero.

He does address another big problem we have though. People can sue for too much. If you get hit by a fucking train, its your fault, the end. The law says that pedestrians (who are using a crosswalk) and trains always have the right of way. One you will kill, one will kill you. If you get out in front of a train, you don't deserve to live cause you should die for being that stupid. That is the way of the world. The blatantly stupid end up dead.

Same thing has caused most of our problems with healthcare costs. Too many people suing over something that they shouldn't have been able to sue over.