I would go as far as saying that MOST of the membership is pretty based on an individual level, the "Union" is used as a tool to keep them in line with their government overlords. I'm speaking from my personal experience in a fire union for a small city fire department. The membership lacks the historical perspective because there are always new people coming in and the ones that know the score prefer to leave quietly. It's amazing how many of our self elected union leadership people wind up promoting to the top levels of the FD and then sit on the opposite side from the union during negotiations, doing the bidding of the government. They are mostly boot-lickers that got their positions based on their ability to screw over their coworkers. It takes a while before you notice the pattern but, by the time you do, you are close to retirement and don't give a crap what the union does. You do your best impersonation of that one mole that never pops his head up in the "wack-a-mole" game because all you do when you cry foul is make yourself a target.
I agree with most of what you say. Problem is, some work you have no choice, other than pick a new career. Even places where its a choice, you still work under the collective bargaining agreement and have to pay "fair share" for that privilege which is basically paying union dues without getting to vote on anything the union does. Most people do not go into fire service so they can be in a union - they join the union because that's the only way they can be a firefighter.
Did my reply seem to you that I supported unions?
I would go as far as saying that MOST of the membership is pretty based on an individual level, the "Union" is used as a tool to keep them in line with their government overlords. I'm speaking from my personal experience in a fire union for a small city fire department. The membership lacks the historical perspective because there are always new people coming in and the ones that know the score prefer to leave quietly. It's amazing how many of our self elected union leadership people wind up promoting to the top levels of the FD and then sit on the opposite side from the union during negotiations, doing the bidding of the government. They are mostly boot-lickers that got their positions based on their ability to screw over their coworkers. It takes a while before you notice the pattern but, by the time you do, you are close to retirement and don't give a crap what the union does. You do your best impersonation of that one mole that never pops his head up in the "wack-a-mole" game because all you do when you cry foul is make yourself a target.
I agree with most of what you say. Problem is, some work you have no choice, other than pick a new career. Even places where its a choice, you still work under the collective bargaining agreement and have to pay "fair share" for that privilege which is basically paying union dues without getting to vote on anything the union does. Most people do not go into fire service so they can be in a union - they join the union because that's the only way they can be a firefighter.