Anyone here work in a union? Anyone ever dealt with unions?

The trade show workers that are unionized at the Javits Convention Center in NYC where we set up for boat shows are the most entitled, lazy, POS workers I've ever been around in my entire life.

Most of them sit on fucking golf carts, eating and reading the newspaper. The rest of them walk aimlessly around. It takes them days to setup a booth that we could have done in 6 hours. They blow, and they don't deserve the compensation they receive.

This is what the Democrats hand in hand with the public sector unions have brought upon themselves. The taxpayers simply can't do it anymore. The gig is up.

Yes. I participated in a union vote to organize International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Local 394 for Twin City Ambulance. At the time, I was making $7 an hour as a NYS certified EMT. That's 6 months of specialized training. NYS Paramedics have basically an associates degree. They were making $12 an hour, even with experience.

We were regularly scheduled for 48 hours a week, 4 12 hour shifts. We'd commonly be held over for an extra 6 hours, often creating 18 on / 6 off /12 on situations, which are unsafe for workers and the patients they're asked to care for. Vacations were regularly approved, and revoked the day before they were to start. Certain individuals were basically exempt from rules and discipline because they were pals with the managing family. Rules were applied inconsistently if at all. Employee turnover was extremely high because of burnout. We were paying 95% of our health insurance premiums, and the insurance coverage was poor.

The year before we voted the union in, the family who owns Twin City profited $8M. Profited. On 230 employees. We lost employees to Mighty Taco because they were starting at $8.50/hr with better benefits.

After the union, wages are now stable, and more in line with what is being paid to these positions nationally, when adjusted for the area. Rules were applied equitably. A process was put in place for people who felt they were treated unfairly. The company can no longer schedule people in ways that put the worker or patient in danger because of fatigue. Good employees now stay because they are treated fairly instead of getting experience to go to another company. Benefits are reasonable.

Oh, and the company makes more money now than they did before.

Please, tell me again how 'all unions are bad', and 'all union workers are lazy'. Because that's fucking bullshit

There are some REALLY shitty unions out there. There are also some REALLY shitty companies that treat their employees like cattle; a commodity to be used and abused.

My two cents...

North Carolina does not allow collective bargaining. Sworn police employees with the rank of Sgt and below can voluntarily pay dues to be a member of their local police officers' association. There are never ending instances that either the agency or the local gov't attempted to basically break the Fair Labor Standards Act in various ways. Every time, this non-union organization was able to consult with their attorney and win, whether it took months or years, in court or out of court. I've been directly involved in several of these issues. Even though many officers would love to have the state sign a pro-collective bargaining bill (while many would not), the current system has succeeded without bloated dues, power mongering union reps, and forcing officers to join an organization that may actually fight against their interests.

Based on my own experiences I can't see unions as being as necessary as they claim.