Guest ThisPlaceSucks Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) hate on unionized labour all you want... we'll just see who's happiest when they retire! Edited January 30, 2011 by Dr. Salvelinus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danc Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 hate on unionized labour all you want... we'll just see who's happiest when they retire! 5 years and 3 weeks to go for me until I dip into my two pensions. Why two pensions? Because we maxed out our first one as far as government contributions are concerned, so we started another about 15 years ago. And I've not put a nickel into my retirement fund. It's all been paid over my wages. Just a few more points to make here. I'm not a RAH RAH union guy. I couldn't care less if anyone reading this is union or not. What gets my hackles up is when I read threads bashing unions. Then you're bashing me, and that's when I get involved. When I finished high school some 35 years ago, I had a decision to make. What would I do for a living? I liked working with my hands and brains, so being a tradesman made perfect sense. I looked into it and saw that a union tradesman made damn good money, pension and benefits. Pension being the biggest thing. I guess what I really want to know from the union bashers is, just where did I do wrong in my career path? All of which reminds me. I should make an eye doctor appointment Monday. I need a pair of polarized bifocals so I can see what I'm doing when I tie my jig flies on. And I should go to my chiropractor and see about this sore neck. Maybe time to see the dentist too. After all, they're all paid for. I might as well take advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 I'm a retired teacher (which I suppose might inspire cat-calls from some, but I'm pretty sure I was a damn good one!) and I know for an absolute certainty that without a teachers' federation (glorified name for a union), I would have had neither the pay I did during my 35 yr career nor the decent retirement income I have now. So I sympathize fully with DanC's view. Unions are NOT an unalloyed blessing (I'm quite aware of the drawbacks), but in employer/worker relations they can make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimace Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 I am not a rah rah union guy either. It is just that I have enough intelligence to understand that the fellas at the other end of the bargaining table are smart enough to concede that they too would be in a union if they were in my shoes. Hence the various construction organizations that the companies join. Do I begrudge them that. Nope. Do you union bashing type begrudge the "sewer and watermain association of Ontario" their right to gather and discuss the rates of pay for employees the rates of equipment rental, the formats in which permits are handed out, the way in which the municipal governments are lobbied to ensure desirable zoning for development. ?? So why would you begrudge me and my tradesman peers the opportunity to do the same. Safety and certification and has not even entered this conversation yet? A whole new ball of yarn. For instance. A construction worker is 8 times more likely to die on the job as a cop. It use to be much worse. My grandfather founded local 183 labourers union after he fought in the second world war. The main factors for him in the 60's and 70's was SAFETY. I am a member of the international union of operating engineers local 793. Local 793's training for crane operators is second to none. We have people from all over the world coming to our union school so they can take the knowledge home and teach it to their peers. We are making jobs safer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohhenrygsr Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 <iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hiSmlmXp-aU" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUSTER Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 but in employer/worker relations they can make a difference. BINGO equal rights, nothing like the guy next to me makes 2 bucks more/hr and I started 5 yrs before him. Just cause he's the owners friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 With all the bad talk about Walmart I'm amazed anyone goes to work for them. What am I missing? JF We at Loblaws (Real Canadian Superstore) dream of a 'super wal-mart' opening across the road, so we can all switch over. They get a bad rep, but if you the majority of employees (at least the ones here in Simcoe) they say it's a very good company to work for. It's part time, they cant offer everyone 40 hour work weeks, but they say it's not bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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