I've worked in both union, and non-union factories, and warehouses. I myself, though working at unionized plants, never really took part in their activities, and tried to avoid them in general. I like to work hard, and be proud of whatever work I have done. But, it's always been kind of amusing, yet a real shame.
For instance, I used to work for SRG Guardian, in Morehead. Their a automotive parts factory, using injection molding, and chemical processes to make bumpers, fenders, grilles, and such. Have the facilities to chrome, and paint them. It was a non-union plant, I could tell, because I watched three co-workers get fired simply for talking about getting a union organized, and the supervisor was just barely within earshot. So much for the right to free speech. The plant worked three shifts, 24/6. Very hostile work environment for humans. the boilers, injection molding machines, paint ovens, kept the massive building a sweltering 100+F air temp through all hours, even in the dead of winter. And being in Kentucky, somehow it was always humid as all else in the plant. Every break-room had poster-boards with fliers talking bad about the union, a couple that even warned of job loss for talking about the union while in the building.
Back last July it was, I had to work the fourth of july weekend, the plant temp got really hot, above normal, several of my co-workers, who had been working there for a few years, and should have been accustomed to the heat, got heat exhaustion. But wasn't allowed to leave their work stations, until break time. With my training as an EMT-Basic, I pleaded, and begged the supervisor to give them an early break to cool off, or to at-least bring them some water, but was refused, and giving a warning for "slacking off". Eventually, those co-workers ended up being fired, for threatening to have a labour inspector brought out.
Never mind the fact that the place was a death trap. Every week there would be a mechanic, or press operator, being injured one way or another, by a defective machine. But it was never counted, when our hands would get burned, or have large lacerations from the sharp objects. Since we wasn't allowed to wear kevlar gloves, which could "scratch the fine surfaces". You was expected to do your job, work as hard as you could, put up with the antagonizing supervisors, put your health on the line, just so the plant could make an extra buck.
I re-call the building manager would come out to our before-shift meetings, and proudly, smugly give us the numbers; "Last night, our shift produced over 1.3million $ in parts alone, keep up the good work". You figure in the average of that, over 8mil $ was made per week. over 32mil$ per month. From our plant alone. Consisting of two hundred working employees. Yet, for some reason, the plant managers couldn't afford to install a drinking fountain in the break rooms, or give out water on the hot days, or pay to hire relief workers to go around and give us breaks. Nor could the plant, afford to install cooling fans at work stations that often rose above 110f in air temp.
I worked there for almost a year, making 7.75$/hr, when I was hired on for full time, my pay went up to a measly 8.25$/hr.
Now, please, tell me, how the hell bringing in a union, would be such a evil and bad thing, for a plant that made tens of millions in dollars each month, pay their employees a few cents above min. wage [7.25$/hr], fire employee's who, while under the effect of heat exhaustion, bordering heat stroke, stray away from their work station for a drink of water. [Oh, did I mention that there was NO food, or drinks, not even water, allowed at your work station?].
This is what happens when you trust big money making corporations to be "fair" to their employees, without any influential outside force watching over them. You get a Business entity abusing, taking advantage, and preying on their employee's, just to squeeze an extra dime from them. You get a business entity making millions on a daily basis, yet giving their employee's who effective kill themselves to give you such profits, and only paying them mere pocket change.
Oh, right, of course, I forgot, none of us had to work there, right? We could have simply went and got a different job, since there's SO many jobs available in Eastern Kentucky, so many opportunities to be had and seized, and worked, and be all happy little bee's in our great American honeycomb, right?
I've worked dozens of plants, and factories, that was very much like SRG guardian. All non-union. Because the funny thing about this economy is, it isn't the unions that's driving employers away, its the companies that want to get away with harsh working conditions, and still make millions, or billions, in profits, and only pay their employee's a dollar or two.
I've been jobless for the past four months, I've put in resume's, and applications to every job employment opportunity I could find. But it sucks, when you walk into a factory office, and there's 70 other people there applying for the same, single job position, that you're applying to. Sure, I could broaden my horizons, and find another factory just like SRG guardian, give myself a heart attack, burns, cuts, be abused by supervisors with a god complex, for an actual small wage. But I refuse to. As a blue-collar American, I shouldn't have to decide between a crappy job, making next to nothing, and breaking my back, or unemployment.
So, when I see all you people fighting against unions, saying how evil they are, how horrible they are, they should be banned, and thrown out of town, and stripped of bargaining rights. I want -you- to spend a few years working in a hell-hole of a place, where you could be fired just for whispering 'union', where your employer could care less about your healthy and safety, where your paid just a little above min. wage, while the supervisors smugly talk about their millions in profits. Maybe then you'd get your white-collar heads out of your rears, and wake up to reality.
When I look at these people against unions, I can't help but to wonder, if I'm making a response to a thread consisting of Mitt Romney's clones. Upper class whine-y rich kids who whine and complain that America is going down hill, and the evil commie unions are cutting your wages, and stuff. Well, I have gladly, willingly, lovingly, paid union dues in unionized places I've worked, just for a safe work environment. And in the non-unionized plants, I would have gladly gave half my measly salary just to even have a moments thought that I wasn't going to stroke out on the job.
