Thread regarding Intel Corp. layoffs

I saw an episode of "superstore" where the management sh-- their pants when an employee inadvertantly blurts union

Lots of good info on those websites that @bwa posted. It's time folks for us to get unionized.

@bwa - Wow, excellent post! Sounds like it's time to unionize to me!! Sooner rather than later!!!!!!!!

There is a union for technical professionals:

http://www.ifpte.org/

Boeing engineers are unionized:

http://www.speea.org/

Unions are effective when the company has large, fixed assets that can't be quickly moved -- i.e., factories.

Unions are often effectively organized in response to bad management. For example:

1. Using stock awards as a performance measure, then lying about it, saying "it was always this way."

2. Using algorithms to ISP people

3. Inventing new algorithms to get rid of people - say, time in grade, when promotions have been rare.

4. Calling bullshit on the "technical career ladder," and "professional development," for which mag enemy has done nothing for 30 years. It's a lie. Last year they did come out with a website to present their lies in one place. Still lacking is funding and management commitment to it (has been missing for 30+ years).

5. Changes to telecommuting policies

6. Yearly changes to FOCAL

7. Benefit parity between executives and engineers - Murthy's first class and private jet travel.

8. Decrease in 401(k) contributions steadily overv the years

9. Price fixing of salaries via "benchmarking" with other companies.

10. More . . .

Unions are useful only when jobs have been dumbed down to their lowest possible checklist level and the amount of bureaucracy in the organization is very high.... Wait a second! That is Intel!

Ask ups or teacher union. They have similar issues but now 10%o of your pay goes to union dues. Union reps have limited power. And do you think union reps themselves want to disappear when all you problems have been solved. Ask Hosteds about unions. They can be equally corrupt. Because they are just as human.

@nnd: Since when? Mine certainly did not have such clause(s).

At the rate corporations are laying successful people off because of age and salary, you would think unionization is inevitable. But that's why they get rid of you, to bring in the young and dumb who won't unionize. It won't be until CEO's are layoff and their jobs shipped overseas change will occur. And that's starting to happen now.

The real answer is that when you joined Intel you signed an employeement contract that specifically states you will not join a union.

Unions have most certainly accomplished many useful benefits for American workers over the years.

That being said, in this situation that move (if it weren't, presumably, a violation of your employment contract) would likely drive labor overseas even faster than that's already happening.

Construction workers can form strong unions because you can't very well outsource construction to a less labor-regulated country. They have leverage. But YOUR work CAN be largely outsourced if employing Americans becomes more of a burden than a company feels it's worth.

And, sadly, the conservative (pro-business) Supreme Court we've had for so many years has undermined worker rights and made it far more difficult to sue. (Remember THAT when you vote this year. The next justice can turn the court in favor of workers. It'll just take one.)

Either way, the wheels of systemic change move very slowly. There's no quick remedy here, except the people at the top having a change of heart. Good luck with that.

Ok. You have a union and your fired.

Below poster: work-time restrictions, min wage all have come from unions, are you saying they are useless??

Why not also drive to work in a horse drawn carriage? It's from about the same era as when unions were actually needed and useful.