I belonged to an union a long time ago (when I first worked for the government), and it was a waste of my time and money. All they wanted was my $$ for dues; they did little or nothing for the federal workers.

As a whole, unions are money-grabbers and have very little bargaining power now.  They were useful back in the early part of this century, when working conditions were horrible, but now that OSHA and the DOL have jurisdiction over workplaces and conditions, the need for unions to oversee working conditions and terms have largely disapated.  They're now essentially interest groups and lobbyists.

Kat

-------Original Message-------
From: Trisha Cummings <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 05/06/03 12:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: civil war, was re. earthquake

>
> HI Mag,

    Unions have unfortunely gone a bit corrupt. I think they where very
necessary at one time but I an not convinced of their value now. They seem
to add to beauracy and wasting time. Ideally there would be an enitity
that
had no stake in what was happening - Unions have become business in their
own right - so a self interest factor end up in their. On the other hand -
how much do I know - not being union?

                                                    Trisha


> I have been pro-union most of my life. For struggling farmworkers, for
> coal
> miners, wherever human beings have to struggle with exploitation. But
> recently, my view has been changed somewhat.  In my work as a
commissioner
> and dealing with ways to get the sidewalks repaired quicker, it has been
> said
> that the unions got in the way of the city using parolees who were in
> training programs, because the work would not be done by union members.
> Argh...
>
> Mag
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I am available to do writing, editing, reporting, designing jobs,
> including
> business cards, etc. I am also a disability rights activist.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>