KC Said:

"and probably not live up to our expectations. "

I guess I have to ask, what are your expectations?

How can a contract be made which will stop furloughs or lay offs when the economy changes or the management screws up. "No furlough" clauses are worthless historically.

Also how can one change the fact in a seniority driven system of employment where one who was hired at or near the end of a long period of hiring are about the same age as those at the end? The results of which are some suffer the issues of being at the bottom and subject to layoffs, not because of their abilities or quality of work, but just because fate has drawn them a bad card compared to those of similar age hired earlier.

What do you want and how can a contract fix it? I'm sorry for the suffering and insecurities of the Jr. in this business or the fate of being subject to bad management or short sited union leadership. What are your solutions to fix these? After almost 35 years of it I sure have none, except to choose a career and life path one can live out with satisfaction and peace of mind.