. I've heard it many times over “why don't you just work for a union, They have benefits, and pay good”.
Don't be fooled by this.
This is a little complicated for me to explain why Unions are not only bad for your future, they are bad for the economy.
Many unions don't guarantee you year round work.
It might seem amazing that you start higher than anywhere else , get guaranteed raises, benefits etc. But that's never year round unless you work in 1 of 5 areas. Police, schools, Fire, DPW, EMS. Everyone else…. Carpenter, pipe fitters, nuclear, Tin Knockers, construction, HVAC , electrical or any other trade rather…. You might be working for 2 months, then not have any work for 5 months after.
Or
When you reach journeyman status and your pay goes up, they might not call you all year. We all heard “union layoffs” before. So much for Job security.
unions go against their own rules to save money
If a job requires say 5 journeyman and 10 apprentices per their policy, they might have 1 or 2 journeyman on the job and 12 apprentices. Exactly, you waited 5 years to get that big pay raise and now they are keeping you home.
unions own your ass
Yes. That's right. If you retire from the union or still are working, and they catch you running your own business in the trade you worked in, they will take all your benefits away. That's a violation. That means if you ever have the opportunity to make a $30,000 off a side job…it will cost you your benefits for life. Which is worth more than whatever you made.
See, if they do plumbing work, they don't want any competition. They don't want people finding out the job actually costs $30,000 and not the $120,000 they are charging. And speaking of high prices…
Where do you think they get all that money to pay their workers? Charging cities a fair rate? Please.
You pay for that union whether you work for them or not.
How so?
Here's how. It shows up in your property taxes. Don't own a home? No worries, rents go up when property tax goes up and the price of food, and groceries goes up in that town as well. Because those businesses have to pay more money to operate in that town. Prices for a chain aren't the same across the board. Try a chain grocery store in non union town compared to a union town. The prices are different.
Your local town boards, city planners , mayor's etc have all struck a deal with union leaders (basically legal kickbacks, favors) to pass a policy that the schools and munciple owned buildings must only hire UNION. So instead of the town paying local business owners $100h for a service, they now have to pay $400hr. Or more. That EATS away the towns money so they raise taxes to make up for it. You pay that increase if you live and or shop in that town..
they get it back somehow.
The whole idea of a union started many years ago when they convinced municipalities the workers would spend their wages in town which would in turn go back to the towns residents by stimulating it's economy. But since many cities, and towns now have businesses owned by major corporations, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, McDonald's, Starbucks, Dunkin, the money isn't going to local business owners who are residents of that town anymore. It's being spent online , or at major retailers. $20hr to start, and $35hr after your first 2 years (if you get to work the entire year) sounds great, but you're getting less for your money in towns with unions than you would in non union towns. So it evens out at the end of the day. You'll have the same result by EOY starting off $12hr in a non union town.
Look up rents on Zillow in towns with no unions. Compare it to union towns. You'll see what I'm talking about. Rent is 25% cheaper and the schools are usually better.
There's no moral reason why only people who work for the town should get full blown benefits and their pensions matched 4:1 while everyone else who isn't(majority isn't) goes without benefits and has no real pension at all while simultaneously paying the same rates in taxes and rent as those who do.
Don't be blinded by a number. Look at the future. Unions want to own your ass and make $Millions$ off your towns budget. They aren't in business because they want what's best for you.
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