Re: \"Unions are Evil\"
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Unions make employees feel they are "entitled" to compensation increases regardless of company performance.
My local teachers union, already the highest paid teachers in the state, went on strike following the 2001 recession when tons of students' parents had been laid off and couldn't find jobs (ie. the real world). These teachers now get paid around $105K + a ~$25K PPO plan, after 8 years teaching + a masters. Just sickening.
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"Company performance"? Teachers are part of the public service, so this is a bad example of trying to refute the idea of so-called entitlement increases.
A company claims it needs a wage reduction or else it will move the plant to Mexico. Since the membership gets to vote on any negotiated settlement, it would be the democratic decision of the bargaining unit on whether or not to accept a final offer by management. Sometimes, like in the fog of war, communication breakdown may lead to one side or the other not believing the other's true intentions. So, off the cliff they go. That goes for management as well in the case of underestimating a union bargaining unit's resolve to strike.
It would probably be unwise for a union to negotiate a wage increase that puts a company out of business. Obviously, I want any company I negotiate with to do BETTER so that we can obtain better wages and benefits through collective bargaining. Of course, it MUST be through collective bargaining as there is no pie in the sky trickle down effect where a company would actually attempt to share, however meagerly, the new profits.
Yearly wage and benefit increases was what employers promised in return for labour peace and unions giving up any claim to ownership of the company. This deal was ratified by federal legislation in the 1930s-50s. Management has increasingly reneged on this deal. Some union members may still see bargaining as goody bag time but fewer and fewer union professionals see it that way.
In solidarity, Hamish.
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