Originally Posted by
FXDX
You never know I might surprise you.
I think we need to be careful, though, about attacking each other because of differing opinions. Telling union brothers to turn in their pins if they have the audacity to express their opinion sounds an awful lot like the speech I heard at the last joint council meeting in Memphis from the Block 11 rep.
We don't need that kind of antagonistic rhetoric from our union reps. They should be willing to listen to every member's opinion, not just the ones who happen to agree with them.
Things can get heated on here and that is ok, but it chills my spine when an elected rep takes that tone in a meeting.
Don't take it as an attack, and it;s OK to disagree with me. I am the first to admit (along with my wife) that I am not always right (just most of the time
I merely said that if you all think of your UNION and it's Dues as nothing more than a tax than I suspect you should make a point.
Quit..........you can always re-join later like you said. Said in jest
Paying dues gives you the RIGHT to Complain. You can complain and still be a good UNION member!
I really agree with you. I wish the 150 SOB's don't get a free ride. It really torques me off when I see NM who don't pay getting their B fund money and their Bonus and their pay rates.
I also agree that I would prefer to see a 98% voluntary membership than
a 100% forced. In a perfect world that is what we might have. Of course in a perfect world, we wouldn't need a UNION.........The contract survey of 2003 said the membership wanted Agency Shop. We got it. We didn't get everything we wanted but this was one.
But no one is forced to join.........they just must now Pay for services which they receive. Yes 150 folks got a free ride. But that isn't open ended anymore. They will find out soon enough when they retire. When they need to speak with A company benefits person for a retirement pay issue or Medical premium and they have been cut off from company email and can't set foot on company property because they don't have an ID anymore......then they call the UNION and ask for help.
I hope that the UNION says "Who are YOU?" "What did you say your name was?" I can't seem to find your records of membership status anywhere? , sorry we can't help you.
But in the Big Picture......look to the next contract or the one after that, all those freeloader folks will be gone and will never be allowed to be replaced. Like it or not, it costs money to Run the UNION.
Agency shop is a good thing. It still doesn't change the fact that Leadership needs to garner UNity and if they fail to maintain that they need to be replaced. But having said that..........having a system where folks can quit at any time and pay nothing is not good.
We have too many 1 issue folks who let emotions get the best of them.
How many SFS folks would have quit over the LOA?
How many JR folks would have quit over AGE 60?
How many Senior folks would have quit over AGE 60 if it had gone the other way?
How many Flex instructors would havce quit over section 11 of the Contract?
Bottom line is UNITY is cyclical and for every issue when a deal is done, someone gets affected good and Bad. My guess is you will see a turnover in the MEC. A new LEC will soon be elected and another one after that. One thing is for certain. We must all be looking to the next contract right now. Negotations will be ramping up before you know it.