Response to Southpaw

[electriklady]

"I'm new to this board. the more i read, i seem to see this is a union board. any opinions expressed by anyone that does not agree with the union way of thinking is not really accepted very well here."


As a lifelong pro union advocate and member, I am responding to your post up here in the union area. I pride myself in my union affiliation and advocate "collective bargaining" to all who care to listen.

You are incorrect in your assessment of this forum as being intolerant of non union members. We do however take exception to those who spread lies and exagerations about union workers and the union way of life, and yes...it is a way of life, not just a work issue. If one chooses to work non union, fine.....it is a free country, and that is your choice. But to come on a board and "badmouth" union members as being lazy, spoiled, stupid sheep does not fly here. We are not union because we have to be.....we are union because we choose to be, and will not tolerate any person who comes on here with the specific goal of "stirring the union vs non union pot"

We are union because we believe in having a voice in our workplace, a place where having a voice is being attacked these days on a daily basis. We are union because we beieve in standing up for each other. Unionism should never be a "me" thing.....It should always be an "us" thing. We believe in a fair wage and benefits. We believe in the "safest workplace that is possible." We believe that we are worth more than "corporate America" tries to make us believe we are. We are proud, we are loud, and we stick together(the meaning of union) and so when a poster comes on here smearing the union name, it doesnt fly with the union members on this board.

We are indebted to those who came before us to fight for things like "the weekend", fair wages, humane working conditions...etc. We hear people "lie" about unions all over....that unions will be the downfall of this country, that unions are socialist organizations. We take exception to that kind of talk. So as union members, many of us(not all) carry the "solidarity" mindset outside the workplace......we care about the elderly, the poor, the sick, children and face it.....that is a more liberal point of view, most especially these days. And most important we care about ALL WORKING CLASS PEOPLE, and what is fair for them.....but alas, we only have the power to help ourselves, because we have no voice for anyone other than ourselves...all we can do is to try to expose the facts, in the face of so many lies being spread in todays world about unions and their members.

As I said....if one wants to work non-union, that does not diminish your worth as an employee......We do not look down on non-union members on this board, but think of it this way......would you go into a church on Sunday morning and start badmouthing "God" and praising satan.....if so, what kind of reaction would you expect?

I hope that makes it a little clearer for you.....if any union member disagrees or has more to add please chime in.

23 year member of IBEW LU 459
In Solidarity

[topgroove]

Kinda funny, another union hater, sudenly shows up and immeadiatly takes this tack..... Kinda reminds me of a troublemaker in the past.

[PSE Lineman]

They can be banned for life, but they can't hide! Didn't know he was a lefty?

[rcdallas]

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[230kv_barehand]

Here is my take, and I don't really care as here in Alabama the union life is nothing like it is up North or out West.

Life was much better with the union. Period. I've worked BOTH sides of the fence and would rather be IBEW any day than to work non. More money, better benefits, and better atmosphere.

As to southpaw, it's swamp no question. Swamp is too stupid to figure out you have certain posting habits and he just can't break them. He makes it too easy. The biggest knock on the union I know of is politics. Those that try to break unions are nothing but communists as most of the time they want to pay less and take away benefits, kind of like what America has done to the textile/clothing industry. There are PLENTY of empty buildings in the South due to everything going to China. Why? Well the first thing was those same companies busting the union up over what they thought were high wages. But yet those same companies gave out higher than ever bonuses until the well was dry and the unions got the blame. Then when they were successful in busting them up they lowered wages, dropped benefits, and still had to close down "because they couldn't afford to be in business".

Greed is killing America. Doesn't matter who is in charge, they are ALL crooks. With everything being computerized expect even more jobs to disappear. We'll be in another depression soon, you better believe it.

But for those to say the unions did this, just pisses me off and I'm not a current union member. It's called COMMON SENSE.

[rob8210]

I can't comment much on how the union vs non-union thing works in the U.S. , but here in Canada I know for a fact that unions have seriously helped to get non-union better pay rates. That is the only way non-union companies can keep men on staff. Money talks. I have worked both sides of the fence, and I am here to tell ya there isn't much difference in the pay rates but there is a huge difference in the benefits package, pensions alone.

[rcdallas]

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[PSE Lineman]

The only thing I could add to that rcdallas, is the fact it was 1 in every 2 were killed before Henry Miller did his magic!

[topgroove]

Southpaw, aka swamprat is a banned member who simply changed usernames.
Swamprat bashed unions his entire stay here on powerlineman.com


One can only guess his intensions, most likely his attempt to hide his incompetence in the trade.