Anyone ever start a Union?

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Jake

Jake

I have fond memories of greasy bags of cold fries and hush puppies from when my mom was a waitress. Then she became a bank teller and worked her way up to executive by the time she retired.

My mom has a bigger sack than Mav.
 
HCGLNS

HCGLNS

Mav said:
Anyone ever started a union for yourself and a group of workers?

I ask cause the call center I work for.. has really started going downhill. They recently had a bidding on shifts (better scores on your metrics/stats + your tenure there equaled a higher picking order), well needless to say that pissed off a lot of people. People who worked a day shift so they could be home at night with their families and children, are now working nightshift. Some people went from 40 hours to 35 or 30 hours.

Some of the more underhanded things they've done is eliminate one of our two 10 minute breaks, and eliminated any and all bathroom breaks. So we get 1 ten minute break. If you need to use the bathroom during your shift, you can. But if you spend 6 minutes going to the bathroom, you have to subtract 6 minutes from your break, leaving you with 4 minutes of break for the day (not counting lunch). Imagine having to go more than once in an 8 hour period or maybe you're a smoker and would like to use your break to smoke? Yea, the time constraints are hurting us all.

The weather here has been bad this winter. It snows maybe once a year here, this year it's snowed like 5 times, each time 1-3 inches which I know is not alot compared to places up north but that is MORE than enough to cause major traffic accidents and safety concerns here. Our city, has enough funds to cover road de-icing, twice a year. After that we have no budget for it. Right now, the roads are covered in ice, snow, rain and sleet. The ONLY time our call center will close for weather, is if the state government official declares it a weather emergency... Which is bullshit since the corporate HQ shut down last Friday for the exact same reason.

So needless to say, I am looking into starting a union. The way call centers in my town and state treat their workers is like indentured servants. We are expected to work X time then we are basically disposable. I enjoy my job for the most part, its having to work around the constraints of it's asinine nazi controllers that make it hard. Anyone ever started one? What kind of process am I looking at? Is it worth it? Obviously we'd have to keep it on the downside until we became an official union recognized by state and federal government, otherwise our employers could get rid of us prior to that for god knows what minor technical reason.

Ideas welcome.
Click to expand...
http://www.aflcionc.org/

Click Organizing; Click Join a Union; Fill out Online Application.
 
M

makare

Mav, don't bother trying to fix anything that is wrong with the world just move away from the problem in to something better and just block out that there are other people who have to deal with it. Who cares about them all that matters is you and the respect you can get on an internet forum.
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

makare1 said:
Mav, don't bother trying to fix anything that is wrong with the world just move away from the problem in to something better and just block out that there are other people who have to deal with it. Who cares about them all that matters is you and the respect you can get on an internet forum.
Click to expand...
He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
--Sun Tzu

More modern advice: "Learn to pick your battles"
 
M

makare

Tinwhistler;348793][QUOTE=makare1 said:
Mav, don't bother trying to fix anything that is wrong with the world just move away from the problem in to something better and just block out that there are other people who have to deal with it. Who cares about them all that matters is you and the respect you can get on an internet forum.
Click to expand...
He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
--Sun Tzu

More modern advice: "Learn to pick your battles"[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure there was the same round of bitchery back when mav didn't have a job and did basically nothing. Now he has a job and he cares enough about it to try and make it better. But same bitching at him as usual. Mav's only mistake is thinking that he can do anything right in the eyes of the forumites who want nothing better than to break him down and bitch at him no matter what he does.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

I bet you signed an agreement that stated you wouldn't start a union. Go to HR and ask about what you agreed to, but I wouldn't use the word 'union.'

I worked for CONvergys (DirecTV) call center, and saying the word 'union' was practically going to get you fired. It was the shitiest 4 years I have ever experienced (work-wise); McDonalds was less soul-crushing than that place. I feel your pain, brother.

I agree with most of the above. Time to find another job.
 
Shannow

Shannow

Staff member
makare1;348796][QUOTE=Tinwhistler;348793][QUOTE=makare1 said:
Mav, don't bother trying to fix anything that is wrong with the world just move away from the problem in to something better and just block out that there are other people who have to deal with it. Who cares about them all that matters is you and the respect you can get on an internet forum.
Click to expand...
He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
--Sun Tzu

More modern advice: "Learn to pick your battles"[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure there was the same round of bitchery back when mav didn't have a job and did basically nothing. Now he has a job and he cares enough about it to try and make it better. But same bitching at him as usual. Mav's only mistake is thinking that he can do anything right in the eyes of the forumites who want nothing better than to break him down and bitch at him no matter what he does.[/QUOTE]

Fuck you.
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

makare1;348796][QUOTE=Tinwhistler;348793][QUOTE=makare1 said:
Mav, don't bother trying to fix anything that is wrong with the world just move away from the problem in to something better and just block out that there are other people who have to deal with it. Who cares about them all that matters is you and the respect you can get on an internet forum.
Click to expand...
He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
--Sun Tzu

More modern advice: "Learn to pick your battles"[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure there was the same round of bitchery back when mav didn't have a job and did basically nothing. Now he has a job and he cares enough about it to try and make it better. But same bitching at him as usual. Mav's only mistake is thinking that he can do anything right in the eyes of the forumites who want nothing better than to break him down and bitch at him no matter what he does.[/QUOTE]



I'm pretty sure that most everyone congratulated him on his job when he got it.

I don't see anyone here *bitching* at him. I see lots of people giving them their advice. Most of it is of the "not worth the time to try, and can probably get you fired" variety, which I happen to agree with. Some people have given him union information if he wants to take it further. Nobody's bitched at him.

We once had a forumite ask the forum's opinion on being a drug mule (a couple years ago). It was a bad idea, and many people said so. If most people think you're making a mistake, and you ask for their opinion, be prepared to hear it. If you want to go ahead and make that mistake, feel free. But you can't begrudge people their opinions when you ASK for them.
 
M

makare

Tinwhistler;348821][QUOTE=makare1;348796][QUOTE=Tinwhistler;348793][QUOTE=makare1 said:
Mav, don't bother trying to fix anything that is wrong with the world just move away from the problem in to something better and just block out that there are other people who have to deal with it. Who cares about them all that matters is you and the respect you can get on an internet forum.
Click to expand...
He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
--Sun Tzu

More modern advice: "Learn to pick your battles"[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure there was the same round of bitchery back when mav didn't have a job and did basically nothing. Now he has a job and he cares enough about it to try and make it better. But same bitching at him as usual. Mav's only mistake is thinking that he can do anything right in the eyes of the forumites who want nothing better than to break him down and bitch at him no matter what he does.[/QUOTE]



I'm pretty sure that most everyone congratulated him on his job when he got it.

I don't see anyone here *bitching* at him. I see lots of people giving them their advice. Most of it is of the "not worth the time to try, and can probably get you fired" variety, which I happen to agree with. Some people have given him union information if he wants to take it further. Nobody's bitched at him.

We once had a forumite ask the forum's opinion on being a drug mule (a couple years ago). It was a bad idea, and many people said so. If most people think you're making a mistake, and you ask for their opinion, be prepared to hear it. If you want to go ahead and make that mistake, feel free. But you can't begrudge people their opinions when you ASK for them.[/QUOTE]

He asked how to start a union not if it was a good idea. If you can't see the bitching at him going on this thread then you are seriously blind and deluded.
 
W

WolfOfOdin

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C

Chibibar

I don't see as bitching. The closest thing was "gtfo" as in "get out of that job when you can cause it drains your soul" variety. I personally didn't bitch at Mav (I can say at least that much) I have work in call center and I know what he is feeling, but also want him to know it is a losing battle really since it has a high turn over rate. Sure he can try, but it will risk him and his department losing their job which can be a bad thing.
 
IronBrig4

IronBrig4

I think everybody has covered all the main points. I used to work shitty jobs as well and thought I could make things better by organizing. But it doesn't work if the jobs can be filled by uneducated, unskilled labor. This is especially true in a weak economy, where people are perfectly willing to line up for call-center jobs.

I second the suggestion that you should take some adult education classes at a community college. Pad your resume and motivate yourself by thinking you'll never have to go back to your shitty job once you get some classes under your belt.
 
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