Anti Union Mailing Season : unions

[–] SirDankbud@lemmy.ca 75 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I spend roughly 700 a year in union dues. I make 25-30% more than those in my industry without a union. So while it is true that I could buy an xbox if I wasn't in a union, the reality is I can buy all consoles and a gaming PC with enough money left for a vacation BECAUSE I'm part of a union.

That doesn't even factor in healthcare benefits, more PTO than I can remember to use, or the fact that my bosses will never yell at me because they don't want to deal with the fallout from the union. The lack of yelling alone is worth the union dues for me.

[–] oxideseven@lemmy.ca 21 points 11 months ago

These mailers aren't for you. They're for the people who didn't think of this kind of stuff. For people who are so downtrodden to be able to ask these kinds of questions. For people who don't even know these are questions they can ask.

And it works. Because often the good guys don't want to play the same game. They don't want to "stoop so low". So these people still exist and often they get had by the baddies reminding them they can have a tiny bit of "happiness".

[–] fsxylo@sh.itjust.works 58 points 11 months ago (2 children)

"For the price of an xbox, you can tell your boss to fuck off when they step out of their lane"

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Money well spent

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That would actually make a great pro union propaganda poster. Hell “for the price of an Xbox you can [perk of unionization]” would be a great format

for the price of an Xbox you can have guaranteed raises on a regular schedule

for the price of an Xbox you can stay safe at work

for the price of an Xbox you can have better benefits

for the price of an Xbox you can get grievance pay

for the price of an Xbox you can have clear expectations

for the price of an Xbox you can have someone else deal with your asshole boss so you can do your damn job

for the price of an Xbox you can tell your boss there’s no way in fucking hell you’re coming in this weekend

for the price of an Xbox you can get double pay to come in this fucking weekend

for the price of an Xbox you can tell your boss that their stupid ass request isn’t in your job description

[–] Hobo@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I like this! Even better we can frame it all in the context of playing xbox:

For the price of an xbox you can buy a house, raise a family, and play xbox with your kids.

For the price of an xbox you won't have to risk losing your thumbs at work and not being able to play xbox ever again.

For the price of an xbox you can afford to play xbox even while sick.

For the price of an xbox you can get grievance pay... to buy a new xbox! (I'm stretching on this one.)

For the price of an xbox you can get more free time to play xbox while someone else deals with your boss.

For the price of an xbox you can get enough time off to actually play your xbox.

For the price of an xbox you can buy two xboxes this weekend and every other weekend. Forever.

For the price of an xbox you can tell your boss that you do your job, and I'll do mine, and then go home and be able to play xbox instead of looking for a new job.

[–] frickineh@lemmy.world 31 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And if I join the union, I can get enough of a raise to feed my family and buy an xbox!

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And all of your friends and peers can too. And all of the other people in your industry in the area that haven't managed to unionize yet still benefit as well, as their companies have to increase pay and benefits to compete in the same employment market.

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago

Yup. The "UAW bump", (other car manufacturers giving their employees raises after the UAW wins a historic agreement after weeks of striking) is a perfect example of it.

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I could buy an Xbox with the mpney I'd get from a union contract.

[–] TheMightyCanuck@sh.itjust.works 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

*multiple

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 9 points 11 months ago

*every month

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Wait... Non-American here.. You actually get mail telling people NOT to join a Union? Who sponsors those?

[–] finestnothing@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago (4 children)

The employers. A good union means they can't exploit and threaten employees as much as they want to. There are whole firms dedicated to avoiding unions from forming and breaking them if they do form or strike.

The only unions I don't support are police unions.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

A number of US companies tried this shit in Europe. They typically got a harsh awakening when they found out that their shenanigans wouldn't fly over here.

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@lemmy.ml 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

its illegal in the UK for police to advocate forming a police union

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

In America but the Police Union is the only Union in that doesn't get smeared in the media

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

Yeah, because if you do smear it, you'll get tons of tickets totally unrelated to your media campaign.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The only unions I don't support are police unions.

Don't forget yellow unions

[–] finestnothing@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

TIL what a yellow union is, that defeats the purpose of a union tbh

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

What is a yellow union?

[–] shea@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

it's a little bit smaller and sweeter than the white ones, but not as sweet as red unions. tastes great caramelized with some fried potatoes.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

Mother fucker

[–] finestnothing@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A union that is heavily influenced by the company itself, while they can do things it's more a tactic of "we're pro-union but why do you need a union when you already have our union? Get back to work." So it's harder to push for a real union that actually benefits the workers

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago

Oh, yeah I knew a lot of doctor's offices around here that acted the same way. But about transgender patients, kept on saying that we didn't need hormone treatment because therapy was enough, and that we should accept ourselves the way we are. Thankfully the situation is a lot better than it was and these doctors were basically laughed out of their their practices.

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It's very interesting. Where I live, the employer may not even ask if you're in a union when they give a job interview. Or even after they hire you!

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

Your boss.

[–] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Union busting in the US is insane, there's an entire consultant industry based around union busting. It's often tied in to HR initiatives like EDI as well which makes it even more insidious.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago

All the time, in fact when I worked at Walmart they practically threatened us up front with illegal "Signature protection" videos to never join a union

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 11 months ago

Your friendly neighbourhood Billionaire Employer.

[–] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

I work in the public sector. I get mailers all the time telling me to opt out of the union. They would come from a right wing super PAC. I wish I could opt out of receiving those mailers.

[–] aluminium@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Imagine buying a PC with its balls cut off

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 11 months ago

A non-union PC.

[–] sharkfucker420@sh.itjust.works 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Maybe I could afford an Xbox if I had a union

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 11 months ago

Maybe two.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I could also just die in poverty but you know... Fuck that shit. Gimme the union.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

Yeah but if you joining Union you can afford a gaming pc, which can just go ahead and pirate everything on Xbox anyway

[–] wrecking7416@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago

Public sector unions keep the government stable. Imagine if people that work in the public sector were, in the apparent imagination of these anti union groups, always maximizing the amount of money they could get in the short term. Modern government provides a lot of services people don't think about and take for granted.

High turnover means less long term experience and less of an idea of the big picture of how things work together, which means you need simpler structures. Simpler structures mean less services. I guess, these anti union groups do know what they're doing. It's important that we know what they're doing too.

[–] BirdyBoogleBop@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It would take me 2.5 years to buy an xbox instead of being in a union...

[–] Hobo@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Wonder what the ROI is for your union dues. I'm pretty sure it's better than the ROI for an xbox.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

IDK, how many newbs can you pwn with union dues?

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

It's amazing how stupid the corporations think average people are. They're usually better at hiding it than this though.