It's interesting that I've been hearing commercials the past couple weeks about how much Fred Meyer values their employees, how much money they've paid out the past year in employee compensation, how happy their employees are to be part of the Fred Meyer family. Pretty clear that their management is attempting to curry public support. Maybe they should just use that propaganda money to increase salaries instead...
Exactly. Most these corporations that rake in record profit will spend tons of money just so their employees don’t unionize or so they don’t look bad in a strike situation. Meanwhile their employees have stagnant salaries. Record profit while high inflation should be criminal.
I've never been a fan of unions. In my experience they protect lazy and worthless employees. Employers cant fire them because of the union. And because of unions, wages are often highly inflated for the actual work the person does, causing construction projects etc to cost way more than they should. But that's just my 2 cents.
Because of unions, wages are not artificially lowered to skinflint levels, allowing workers to perform at a comfortable level without the existential threat of losing their jobs, removing one axis of corporate exploitation. But that’s just my 2 cents.
I believe unions are needed, but in a more limited role. Such as protecting workers from safety issues. But.. I believe every employee should negotiate their own wages, based on their contribution to the company. Similiar to how the NBA contracts work.
I’ve always felt like anti union people for the most part are envious of the luxuries union people are afforded. Because if you’re not in a union then why would they care if there’s a few lazy union members?
A small number of pro athletes have star power to negotiate big salaries and dictate where they play. Most have to take what's offered. And they still have more clout than ordinary workers. When we "negotiate" our wages, which is pretty much what happens in non union workplaces, there is no negotiation. We take it or leave it. The whole idea of unions is without power and wealth we have only collective strength.
Drove right by it today I believe. Across the tracks form that hold hospital/church? Yellow Brick? I also passed the Fred Meyer on strike on my way to Aloha. Man that route 8 is never ending.............................................
https://www.newsweek.com/kroger-executive-admits-company-gouged-prices-above-inflation-1945742 Kroger exec fessed up that they price gouged. This is just on the grocery side. It’s obvious the manufacturers of the goods are price gouging and shrinkflating as well
The idea of a union is great. Then people get involved and people can be assholes. I've seen great shop stewards and I've seen shop stewards that feel they hold some mythical power to complain and throw around entitlement everywhere. I've also seen people fired in a union and the union do absolutely nothing about it. At the end of the day. The idea of a union is great. There is nothing wrong with folks fighting for workers rights.
Yeah, definitely all unions aren’t the same. I’m a 4th generation union member. My dad always says, a union is only as strong as its members.
Nope. I'm NOT on the side of (for example) the union road construction crews that have 2 guys working and 5 guys standing there watching. I'm NOT on the side of the union electrician who makes $50 an hour and actually works only a couple hours of an 8 hour day. (one example of friends/family I know about). I'm NOT on the side of several lazy worthless union workers that I worked along side many years ago that the company couldn't fire because of the union. I agree unions have their place. But.......
Those guys standing around are probably supervisors. Non union members. $50 an hour isn’t some crazy amount these days. It’s good but not wealthy by any stretch. I have a buddy who is a union journeyman high voltage electrician and he’s in the $60 an hour range. There is a lack of them. So supply and demand. He had to do lots of training equivalent to college but without owing a university gobs of money. I have no problem with any worker making as much as they can squeeze out of an employer. I’m just pro labor. Money in this country needs to be distributed better. A healthy middle class has proven to make an economy thrive.
