Used to work construction (before those greedy pricks at wall street fucked it all up in 2008)
One day it was so windy that the crane guy just went.
“- Nope! Union rules say its not safe to use the crane in these conditions.”
And he just went in to the break room and got some coffee until the wind would settle.
Now i was outside bending rebar. When i was done and carrying all these rebars back, there was a sudden gust of wind, on the roof of the house we were building (8 floors) there were some metal plates just lying there.
I heard some weird noise, and then a “BANG!”
A sheet of metal like 3 feet times 6 feet just landed next to me, it passed right over my head, and buried itselt like 6 inces in to the ground. I am very lucky to be alive.
Turns out those guys who worked on the roof, were just some junkies that the boss got in on the cheap. Becouse the boss didnt want to pay full price for proffesionals.
Everybody else was union members.
When my foreman heard what happened, he took me too the office, and what happened next was the most impressive rant i ever saw. He started by calling the boss a “asshole” and a “greedy sum'bitch” telling him that from now on only union members was allowed on the site. (he was running shit now)
Then he turned around and said,,,
“- Oh! If i find one guy out there that is not in the union,,,,,”
Then he just buried an axe that he used to carry around in his keyboard on his desk, left it there, and walked out.
Now corporate is still corporate, so the boss got transferred instead of fired. But that was a pretty badass thing to witness as a 20 year-old.
Unions just dont help your pay, it also saves lives from greed.
Unionize americans! Lets strive to be as badass as that foreman one day.
hugs and kisses from sweden