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Old 2012-04-20, 01:42 AM   [Ignore Me] #45
Warborn
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Re: Unions


Originally Posted by Malorn View Post
I also find it ridiculous that if I get moved to another office that's across the hall I can't move my own stuff because the corporate movers are unionized. Or people can't pick up a soda can off the floor because that's a union job.
Unions exist because employers almost always attempt to fuck their employees and exploit them for all they're worth. If there's a stipulation that you can't pick up litter yourself because it's a union job, the issue isn't that unions are jerks who love seeing litter and want you to call one of their guys to pick up a pop can, the issue is that unions have had to set such firm and absolute rules because otherwise employers will exploit or circumvent them whenever and however they can.

I don't deny that sometimes unions are annoying. Working in a hospital, nursing unions have some stuff that everyone else has to work around to an extent. And when I was working for the city as a paramedic, our union was the general city union so all negotiating was done with them, and as such we got paid really substandard wages compared to the rest of the province.

So, unions aren't perfect. But without them, jobs would once again become unsafe, wages minimal, and working schedules incredibly demanding. As I mentioned earlier, the only reason unions exist is because capitalism with a free hand is vicious and unsympathetic. If the price people pay to make sure their employer can't bleed them is a bit of silly stuff about litter or moving office supplies, so be it. It's a small price to pay.
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