|
I agree with you mcat. I grew up in Southwestern PA, the heart of the steel industry in this country. Most families had 3 generations that worked in the mills. I'd envy my friends going to work for $10+ per hour out of HS when the minimum wage was only $1.60 hr. Twenty years got you 13 weeks paid vacation, sick time, holidays, and double time and a half if you worked a holiday. It's no wonder the mills could no longer compete with steel imports. The mill towns just died and people moved out as mill after mill closed.
When I worked at the University of Pittsburgh in the early 1970's a union rep tried to organize the employees to unionize. As a kid I was all for it, I thought man now I'll be making some money. Then as I took it all in I realizied the pay wasn't great but, we got Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Major Medical, and if we wanted free dental we could go t o the Dental School. We got 2 weeks paid vacation after 1 year, 10 paid holidays, 10 sick days, not to mention all the perks of being on a major college campus. The vote was soundly defeated.
The bottom line is ,if employers treat their employees well there is no reason for a union.
I have had a small auto repair business in FL for 22 years. I have one technician who has been with me 20 years, another 10, and the third left after 15 years when he moved. This is unheard of in this industry.
Getting back to the OP, you're right unions were once needed but outlived their usefulness long ago.
|