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Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

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191–200 of 448 posts

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#191
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It confirms that yes, this union will have an effect, and not in management's favor. Like "Clearly we're onto something here if they oppose it this much." I think it's important to note here that "bad for management" doesn't necessarily mean "good for employees". It is possible that unions are bad for both, by gumming up the negotiating process, and insulating low performing employees at the expense of high perform…

> I think it's important to note here that "bad for management" doesn't necessarily mean "good for employees". It is possible that unions are bad for both It's become clear in the past few years that a lot of people care less about winning than they do about their "enemies" losing. To them, it doesn't matter if you hurt yourself, as long as you hurt the people who disagree with you as well.

"It's become clear", could you please follow up with some examples so that what you are saying become more clear?

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#192
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm fine with unions if they are voluntary, but not if I'm forced to join, forced to strike, forced to pay dues even if I'm not involved, and forced to not seek employment at a place under strike through threats of violence.

Just to clarify, are you saying, "I would like the collective to bargain on my behalf, but I just don't want to be part of that collective"? Isn't mandatory membership a simple corollary of unionization efforts?

I'm not in favor of mandatory membership, but on the other hand if someone chooses not to be a member and is subsequently mistreated by management, there's no reason for the union to assist them and they shouldn't receive any benefits established through collective bargaining agreements.

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#193
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup. Often forming a union just replaces self-serving management with self-serving union leadership. Nothing like those union leaders making $300k per year!

$300k a year doesn't seem like much to pay for union leadership if it covered a large enough number of workers. It might be expensive on first glance, but it might be more expensive to not negotiate collectively.

if workers want to self-organize, why don’t they do exactly that and start a rival business?

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#194
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is interesting that to most "Made in Germany" is a sign of high quality and that most think Germans have the best work ethic in the world despite also having the strongest labor unions.

If anyone has read a critical piece of work on what constraints in Germany allowed unions and companies to co-evolve instead of adopt the adversarial position that characterizes the American interactions, please share. There is something categorically different and I'm not sure how that came to be. Edit: I'm rate limited for comments. Thank you, my dude, for the recommendation.

I'm glad you asked! Can't recommend this book enough; it's beautifully written and also short - in matters of philosophy, less is most definitely more. It's a general work on the adversarial legal tradition and while it doesn't touch on German labor unions specifically it does go into some detail about the differences between the (Anglo-)American and continental European approaches.

Adversarial Legalism by Robert Kagan. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674012417

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

well, USPS has an IT union and I can tell you first hand it is no good for employees, the things you mentioned happening absolutely happen and the place is just a disaster

We have a contract with the USPS IT department and let me tell you, it is absolutely awesome for their employees. They do about half the work we do in twice the amount of time, get paid more, have more holidays (2 weeks + every single federal holiday) and have pensions. Every worker there clocks in at 9, and clocks out at exactly 5, not a single minute past. If you want a meeting or them to get you something, it need…

> Every worker there clocks in at 9, and clocks out at exactly 5

LUL! Those are amateur numbers, buddy. I do 11-6 maybe, and work at a big 5 tech company making big 5 tech company salaries. And frankly, we aren't working a lot of the time during the day either.

And yes, we have the "unlimited" vacation, which usually results in people taking about 4 weeks a year, on average.

I think people underestimate how easy it is to work at some of the big tech companies.

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#196
post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We have a contract with the USPS IT department and let me tell you, it is absolutely awesome for their employees. They do about half the work we do in twice the amount of time, get paid more, have more holidays (2 weeks + every single federal holiday) and have pensions. Every worker there clocks in at 9, and clocks out at exactly 5, not a single minute past. If you want a meeting or them to get you something, it need…

Pension, more then two weeks holiday, and 9am-5pm workdays sounds like a normal working conditions for an employee?

For many Americans, they are not.

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#197
post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if I'd like to work in a place like that. Wouldn't you get lazy after a couple of years? Doesn't this create incentives to deliberately work more slowly? After a couple of more years like that wouldn't you get used to not doing much and then get slaughtered when inevitable change came around? My friend referred to this kind of situation as "being in an ass" ;) Yeah, from time to time there's a smell but…

It enforces the 40 hours a week. That's the job you are paid for. Working 16 hours a day..7 days a week is not lazy. It's a recipe for burn out. Working hard for the 40 is what is expected and should be exactly that. You pay me for 40 I'll give you 40 You want 80 then you pay me for 80

Facebook and Google certainly pay for 80 then. The average senior engineer there definitely makes at least double what someone at USPS IT does...

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#198
post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but unlike management, you can start an opposition caucus in your union, do organizing, win an election, and reform bad union leadership. We just have such low awareness in the US about what unions are and how they work that we take self-serving, collaborationist, timid union leadership as a fact instead of something we can and should urgently struggle to change.

my parents had to be part of the union (USSR, so no choice). Union leaders decide who goes on vacation, when and where (e.g. paid trips to beautiful Crimea). Also, of course, who is paid what amount. Of course, if you aren’t relative/friend of union leaders you get none of the perks. f@&&k that

Oh well, it worked out badly in one context so that means it can never work in any context. On the other hand, when capitalism works out badly for people that's just how things are and nobody is to blame.

/s

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#199
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Criticizing how white men use their whiteness to preserve their exclusive access to money and power isn't racist

Your statement right there is racist as it assumes a general trait across all white men, not just the ones guilty of it. It's the same as saying all black men are bad fathers (because stereotype). Both are hideously racist statements.

Criticizing wealthy white tech people for exploiting their power and privilege to exclude others is not at all comparable for disparaging black fathers.

Re: Anti-union activity is heating up ahead of Google contractor's vote to unionize

#200
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Criticizing how white men use their whiteness to preserve their exclusive access to money and power isn't racist

Isn't any blanket (and negative) statement about any race racist?

Criticizing white people for upholding a racist system is not racist.
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