I work in a technologically advanced industry that creates products critical to transportation. I was always a union supporter until I had to work as an engineer around one.
We have a union at my facility which represents the hourly workforce who build our products. And they are ruining our business.
Engineers and managers are unable to work effectively because represented workers will threaten them with grievances for absolutely no reason at all, such as “using tools on union time” when an engineer tries to look at something with a flashlight. You get a grievance for carrying a small box from one desk to another because a “material handler wasn’t hired to do it”. Entirely new positions have had to be created so that there is someone technically skilled enough to actually touch the product because the represented workers threaten engineers over touching the product. When safety checks are being done, represented workers just sit down, refuse to comply, or line up at the time clocks at the end of shift. Someone was very nearly killed recently because of this attitude. Processes are hamstrung at every single level due to union activity and it’s not the company who suffers the most for it, it’s other workers. Even other represented workers.
It is horrific. Most salaried workers say the culture on the floor is like a “prison yard.” The quality of the product is going down because the union has made the workforce embrace the idea that they should only ever be paid more and do less. Our represented workforce are some of the highest paid in the country, and still demanding more. The skill of these workers has also waned significantly. Honestly… it really is all of the things that you’ve always heard the GOP use as propaganda. I am a lifelong dem voter (not by party but by policy) and I am rethinking so much now, because of the union.
They are sabotaging our products and people can die because of this attitude.
I cannot overstate how bad this is.
It is so bad that the poor quality of work resulting from the represented workers lack of regard for anyone or anything but themselves may lead to our production being shut down entirely and we will all lose their jobs.
The union is eating itself alive.
There is a limit to what you can demand. Please… if you are standing up a union, do not view it as some cart blanche opportunity to write endless checks for yourself. If you destroy the company, you will not have a job. Period.
I no longer support unions.