Anecdotal evidence busting a union myth

[Canceled.2014.1]

Last year I changed companies for reasons I won't go into here. I now work for a company that builds transmission lines, distribution lines and substations for power companies. It is also a company that uses union workers.

One thing I have heard over and over is how hard it is to fire union workers.

In January we had a lineman connect a ground to a transmission line barehanded. The company president fired him. No hearing or union nonsense. He was fired for a safety violation.

Recently, a driver had his 3rd vehicle accident. He was fired.

Two linemen in Florida were caught using improper grounds on de-energized transmission lines. They were both fired.

An apprentice lineman was fired for failure to use proper rigging on a crane lift (he had received the proper training).




I guess I am wondering why people think its hard to fire a union worker.

 

[Cancel 2016.11]

You like trouble don't you?

 

[Cancel 2016.11]

LMAO I was a teamster for THREE YEARS. I know what I know. Do tell us Winterweenie, that no union workers are hard to fire? We will be waiting for the link.

 

[Canceled.2014.1]

You like trouble don't you?

Someone has to stir the pot every so often.

 

[Canceled.2014.1]

LMAO I was a teamster for THREE YEARS. I know what I know. Do tell us Winterweenie, that no union workers are hard to fire? We will be waiting for the link.

This is my first experience working with a union. I am not pro-union. But I have seen these guys fired when the company is growing and needs qualified people.

I am simply offering a bit of anecdotal evidence that union workers can be fired like any other employee. At least in some fields they can.

 

[PostmodernProphet]

In January we had a lineman connect a ground to a transmission line barehanded.

for clarification, are you saying he was fired or caught on fire....

 

[canceled.2021.1]

This is my first experience working with a union. I am not pro-union. But I have seen these guys fired when the company is growing and needs qualified people.

I am simply offering a bit of anecdotal evidence that union workers can be fired like any other employee. At least in some fields they can.

Maybe it depends on the industry and the union. But there are plenty of stories particularly public school teachers of inability to fire incompetent folks. Now I know we are to speak of teachers with near reverence and genuflect at the the mere mention of their profession so I should be careful

 

[Canceled.2014.1]

for clarification, are you saying he was fired or caught on fire....

LOL! No, he was fired.

 

[Canceled.2014.1]

Maybe it depends on the industry and the union. But there are plenty of stories particularly public school teachers of inability to fire incompetent folks. Now I know we are to speak of teachers with near reverence and genuflect at the the mere mention of their profession so I should be careful

If it varies based on the industry, then it probably isn't unions in general that are the issue.

 

[leaningright]

As far as school teachers go in OK, a school might have to put up with a sorry teacher (as long as nothing illegal has been done) for a year or two before he can be fired...especially if the local school board is gutless. This is the only union experience I have. I am all for safeguards in place for the teacher as local situations, local politics can endanger a person's job but to have to put up with a poor teacher for any amount of time after it is found out that they are sorry and unwilling to try to improve is not good. Kids often lose a year or two of gains they should be making.

 

[Howey]

LOL! No, he was fired.

Yeah...I thought you said "FRIED".

 

[Canceled.2014.1]

Yeah...I thought you said "FRIED".

It was possible, considering what he was working with. The line had been de-energized, but it was a transmission line and typically they run parallel with other transmission lines for miles.

 

[Howey]

It's very difficult to fire a state employee (rank and file) in Florida, even a non-union member because the union still represents them.

 

[Bonestorm]

It's very difficult to fire a state employee (rank and file) in Florida, even a non-union member because the union still represents them.

It's harder to fire public employees as a general matter becuase they have due process rights to which private sector workers are not entitled.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

LMAO I was a teamster for THREE YEARS. I know what I know. Do tell us Winterweenie, that no union workers are hard to fire? We will be waiting for the link.

Depends where your working Darla. I worked in a Steel Plant and they quickest way a union employee could get fired was for violating safety rules and it happened frequently with the whole hearted approval of the union. If you've ever been in a melt shop or seen the kind of work WB is talking about you'd understand why.

 

[Bonestorm]

Depends where your working Darla. I worked in a Steel Plant and they quickest way a union employee could get fired was for violating safety rules and it happened frequently with the whole hearted approval of the union. If you've ever been in a melt shop or seen the kind of work WB is talking about you'd understand why.

I think Darla was channeling a certain other poster. That, or Darla and SF are really the same person and she forgot that she was logged in on the Darla account and not the SF account.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

It's harder to fire public employees as a general matter becuase they have due process rights to which private sector workers are not entitled.

Which is why private sector workers have unions.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

I think Darla was channeling a certain other poster. That, or Darla and SF are really the same person and she forgot that she was logged in on the Darla account and not the SF account.

Well anythings possible....but I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if you're wrong.

 

[Prometheus]

Last year I changed companies for reasons I won't go into here. I now work for a company that builds transmission lines, distribution lines and substations for power companies. It is also a company that uses union workers.

One thing I have heard over and over is how hard it is to fire union workers.

In January we had a lineman connect a ground to a transmission line barehanded. The company president fired him. No hearing or union nonsense. He was fired for a safety violation.

Recently, a driver had his 3rd vehicle accident. He was fired.

Two linemen in Florida were caught using improper grounds on de-energized transmission lines. They were both fired.

An apprentice lineman was fired for failure to use proper rigging on a crane lift (he had received the proper training).




I guess I am wondering why people think its hard to fire a union worker.

A couple of examples hardly bust a "myth", even if I've never heard this particular one. Now if you want to talk US Gov't Civil Service employees ...

Having worked as an electrician for 10 years, I can say this: If you are in the union's "Good Ol' Boy" network, you aren't going anywhere. There's more nepotism there than in any of Europe's royal families.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

I have mixed feelings about unions. I believe the right for workers to collectively organize is a fundamental human right. Having said that I've workd hard to learn my profession and have no desire to belong to a collective bargaining unit.