Can the Unions Come Back?
Most observers would note that airline Unions have been suffering from loss of membership and power — even more so in the last few years where strong-arming by the Airlines under the protection of bankruptcy has led to lost jobs and pay cuts.
Some are saying that the days of the Unions have passed, that they have lost the ability to effectively bargain with companies.
But that just may change.
The New York Times published an article on Tuesday, June 19 titled Clash Nears in the Senate on Legislation Helping Unions Organize. In it, Steven Greenhouse shares that Senate Democratic leaders moved to force a vote on organized labor’s top legislative priority — a bill that would make it far easier to organize workers. If the bill becomes law as currently written, employees at a workplace would be able to unionize as soon as they have a majority of signed cards saying they want to do so. Under current law, employers can insist on a secret ballot election, even after a majority of employees sign cards.
Union officials see passage of this bill as a vital step towards “reversing the decline in membership and might.” As can be expected, support in the Senate is split between party lines with Democrat leaders trying to push the legislation forward and Republican leaders vowing to kill the measure.
So, what do you think of the proposal? Is it a step in the right direction? Can it help bring strength back to organized labor? Or, have the days of Union strength come and gone.
We welcome your feedback.
To read the full text of the article, click here.
Thanks for reading!
Joe Escobar
The problem is that unions have behaved like dinosaurs, which of course, are now extinct. There needs to be a lot more co-operation with companies rather than continually opposing management and pointing a finger after-the-fact. Jobs will be more readily protected with smoother operations and a consenual focus on a good product, in reasonable time and within budget.
I would have to assume Mr. Walker is either management or not very observant of the facts, probably both. The comment about dinosaurs is, well, interesting, not really saying anything of relevance about the topic although I am sure many in the academic world would be thrilled to hear the elaboration of his new theory of how dinosaurs behaved, you know, democratic decision making, elected executive branch, etc. It would have been an awesome sight to see the plant eating group stand up for their rights to not be eaten and organize against those big nasty meat eaters. As for the rest of the comment, boring, same old company diatribe based on garbage, I am pretty sure no one would bother joining a union if they felt they were rightly treated.
I have been an A&P and I.A. for over 30 years. I have sucessfully kept Unions out of the Maintenance facilities that I have owned or managed because I provided a good work environment, I listened to what the employees had to say and provided them education and training with opertunities to improve themselves. Unions are a thing of the past… They served their purpose before the federal and state law-makers passed labor laws to protect workers from abuse and neglect. Every Corporation and government agency that I have worked for has provided fairly to its employees. One or two may not agree or may feel discriminated against, but it was usually the one’s that nothing would ever satisfy them. In my opinion, the unions take far more than they provide and when it’s time for them to stand up and support the people they represent, they often fall short. The U.S Department of Labor and the State Labor Board’s all support and enforce a workers bill of rights and as an employee they can provide you with information and tools to address problems with difficult employers.
Ditto what Mr. Phillip says. I worked as a mechanic for UAL in the mid 1980’s and left because the union mentality was so incredibly wasteful. Pride was taken in what could be taken from the company, be it time or materials. I left in disgust. Unions are for non-educated people, that is the worker who cannot think for him or herself. HOWEVER, the way the airlines are stealing form the employees in the form of pay and pension robbing, unionization seems to have more appeal. OK, make that the management that needs the union.
You’ve got to admit, Unions have served their purpose. But they continue to push it too far. If they focused on rewards for productivity and efficiency, instead of getting paid for mediocracy, they might have something!
I am curious as to who the more productive and efficient people are. 90% of people, union or not provide good work efforts and I am sure over the last 30 years there have been significant gains in productivity and efficiency yet the work week gets longer and real pay goes down. Nice to dream but I pay my bills and live my life in reality.
I do belive that industry unions (aircraft, automotve, etc) have had there day. They failed to follow the lead of the construction unions and provide something for the employer.
In a union construction enviorment a contractor can call the union hall and ast for them to send him a jourymen. What he gets is a person trained to an agreed upon min. ability. He went through a union school to get that ability, and the union gets him an argeed upon min wage in return. But it is upto him to keep the contractor happy with him. The min wage is a starting point. If the contractor likes him, gives him extra training and pays him more for his now more valable hours, good for both of them. If the workers grows a beard and the contractor dosn’t like face hair, he can be fired. No questions asked.
Between worker and contractor the agreemnet is “We will give you someone at least this good for this amount of money.” Between worker and union it is “We will get you a good paying job. It is up to you to keep it.”
It is a self policing system.
And as productivity per hour goes up with increased capitol spending, the unions are happy to see it. One Operating Engr with a backhoe can do more in less time than an army of labors with shovels and wheelbarrows. But because the contractor can bid the job lower and quicker the project dosen’t get shelved because it would be too expensive or take to long to be profitable for the investor.
If he grows facial hair he can get fired, ever hear of discrimination?
I am an A&P mechanic and I have worked at both union and non-union companies and every single time I was treated better at unionized companies.The union provied me with better pay rates and benifits,including fair treatment for ALL employees. No playing favorites!
I believe what is lost, is lost… Now we can only hope for the existing union carriers to increase there union members. Contract maintenance is the new wave. I’ve never seen anything like it before, except at the MRO’s. I’m not sure when it will decline, other then the fact that less and less A&P’s are coming out of schools due to wages and the cost of schooling.
It is the unanamous opionion of poor workmen that all workmen, regardless of their skill, should receive the same pay. (Unable to credit the quote) Seems a bit strange to me that in a society that regards free and fair elections, we would be seeing politicians write laws to eliminate them……
I believe the unions are dead, but the airlines execs union the ATA has won! The profession of an airline AMT’s death started back in the 90’s when the airlines spent millions to keep the FAA from creating the AMT / T (Transport) certificate. This would of essentially type rated us on specific aircraft. Yes, like the pilots and European Aircraft Engineers. Instead the airlines have convinced the Fed’s to go with their lean maintenance mentality, and to continuously dumb-up the profession. For example, the airline I am employed by used to require all Line Technicians to have avionics training. Many of my co-workers including myself went to school for two extra years for that avionics training on our on buck. Just so we could have the opportunity to work line maintenance. Today, the only requirements to work the line are a pulse, an A&P and depending on the station a little seniority. This same airline also used to take pride in performing most of their heavy maintenance in house. Today, the bulk of it is done South-of-the-Border or overseas.
The labor unions spent too much time trying to add to their memberships with anyone with a heartbeat. The resulting large memberships diluted the ranks of unions with unskilled and uneducated members bent on high wages and unsustainable benefits and raises.The unions for example pushed for stakes in the company that were not realistic or prudent.Unfortunately the sacrifices made in the name of the phony stock investments were not part of the future plans of airline executives.They are only concerned with their own insane personal wealth and power.The damage they have inflicted WILL NOT be repairable in any way shape or form and is directly responsible for the state of airline travel in the USA today.