As someone who has worked in union jobs and non union jobs and has worked in the north (PA) and the south (TX,OK), I can say from experience that the non union jobs I had were much better working environments. Especially for people that do not need constant supervision, care about doing the job right and want to help the company to be successful. In union jobs, most will only do the bare minimum to keep their job, they bitch constantly about how terrible management is and will lie, cheat and steal at a much higher rate than non union shops.
What good does higher union wages help if the cost of living is such that you NEED higher wages just to keep living?
Most union workers that I have seen, are overpaid, some, grossly so.
I have been fired from one non union job for no good reason. I don't know why anybody would want to work at a place where they are not wanted. If you have a boss that would fire you for wearing an orange shirt then you should be looking for a different job.
I have been fired/let go from two union jobs for the following reasons:
1) The first time I lost my union job was when I put my name in to bid on another job within the same plant. The union rep told me to be considered for the new position, I would have resign my old position. Yeah, I fell for it, I was only 19 at the time and didn't know that union reps lie. I gave up my old job and was promptly told that the new position was "taken down" meaning that the new job no longer existed. Thank you United Electrical Workers.
2) The second union job to fire me for no good reason was the Teamsters. While driving a company vehicle, I was run into. The company sent me for a drug test. I was overheard by a union rep that I was concerned about passing the test, even though, under the contract at the time, I could not be fired for failing a drug test if I volunteered to go to rehab. Anyway, the union rep went to the boss and the next day I was fired. Oh by the way, my test results were negative. The union gave me the run around for nine months then called me to offer my job back at 75% of my old wage and another 90 day probation period where you CAN be fired for any reason or no reason. Can you guess what I told them?
3) The non union job I got fired from was not nearly as underhanded and chicken shit as the treatment I received from the unions. A company hired my associate and I to objectively investigate the company's financial situation, pinpoint problem areas and make suggestions as to where and how to apply remedies. As it happens many times in these scenarios, the owners did not like what we had to say, so they fired us. They were out of business within 6 months.
4) I have been a member in good standing with 5 unions. UEW, Teamsters, Boilermakers, Iron Workers and the Steelworkers. In all of these jobs, all I have seen is a bunch of union thugs protecting their incompetent buddies while throwing anyone else under the bus when convenient.
5) Even though my experiences with unions has been negative, I still believe it is up to the people of each state to decide whether or not to be RTW or not. I would obviously choose RTW.
6) The only objection I have is unions for public employees because there is a clear conflict of interests.
I think people should negotiate their own contracts with employers. If I am better at a job than another, I should be compensated better. In union shops you hear "slow down, you're making us all look bad" a lot.
If you are so incompetent that you NEED a union to stay employed, you probably should find a different kind of work.
I have also witnessed dangerous conditions that union reps hide in order to prevent someone from getting fired.
