Thread regarding Altice USA (Cablevision) layoffs

The truth about unions. (Watch your pockets)

Question:

Would you want to work for an employer who ignores your contributions? What about one who only promotes on seniority? The answer to these questions explains why union membership keeps falling: unions have not adapted to the modern workplace.-------like obee and kenobee

Fact:

Collective bargaining means one contract covers everyone. Such contracts do not reflect individual contributions. Instead unionized companies typically base promotions and raises on seniority, not merit. Unions designed this system for the industrial economy of the 1930s.-----it's now 2017----do the math, and remember the old saying can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Fact:

No individuality you all win or lose as one.

unions fight against individual recognition. In 2011 Giant Eagle grocery stores gave several employees in Edinboro, Pa., raises. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 promptly sued, arguing their contract prevented the company from awarding individual pay increases. The courts agreed and ordered Giant Eagle to rescind the raises. Local 23 wanted everyone to make the same amount, no matter how good they were at their job.-----to bad for the tech who does the extra work.

Fact:

In the past unions offset such concerns by negotiating higher pay for everyone. In today's competitive economy, they no longer can. If unions raise labor costs, consumers can shop elsewhere. Unions that insist on uncompetitive wages wind up like Hostess's Bakery Union - with unemployed union members. Consequently, studies find unions do not raise pay at most newly organized companies.----trying to unionize ATS would hurt many of us instead of help. IN TODAYS BUSINESS ECONOMY.

FACT:

Without being able to offer higher pay, unions have to sell workers on the value of collective bargaining itself. But that has proven difficult. The government already requires employers to provide employment protections like safety standards protections and overtime rates. Polls show that most workers feel their employer respects them. Unsurprisingly, polls also show that only one in 10 non- union workers want to join a union.-----CWA likes to take credit for what is already standard practice in employment laws. We were and are protected way before CWA stuck their nose in it. 1-10 employees don't want union for perfectly valid reasons in today's market. The difficulties in unionizing lie in the fact that they are useless in the overall process of ones employment.

Fact:

This makes it difficult for unions to organize enough new members to replace those lost to bankruptcy. Union membership has steadily declined over the past two generations. Today just 11.2 percent of employees belong to unions, fewer than when President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act in 1935. The private sector figures are even lower - just one in 15 private employees hold union cards.

Again this is not because people are weak, sheep, or stupid, it's because UNION CANT HELP IN TODAYS WORLD.

fact:

Unions only remain strong in the one sector of the economy that faces no competition: the government. Government unions do not have to organize new members to replace those lost in bankruptcy. The government does not go out of business.----let that sink in for a minute. Think real hard about that means to you.

Fact:

Consider New York Public schools. No one currently teaching in New York voted in the 1961 union organizing election. Yet the United Federation of Teachers represents every teacher in the district to this day. This dynamic keeps unions strong in government even as they faded elsewhere. Today, most union members work in government. The U.S. Post Office employs twice as many union members as the domestic auto industry.-----so what does that mean? Why is union so awesome in government but failing in the private sector?

Answer:

Simply put. This explains why unions so strongly support higher taxes and more government spending - they directly benefit from bigger government. It is hardly surprising that government unions organize rallies like the one they hosted in Springfield, Illinois. There government employees protested outside the state capitol chanting "Raise my taxes! Raise my taxes! Raise my taxes!"

Few workers outside government feel that way.----this is what union has always been about your money, not your problems.

Final note:

The union movement needs to adapt to the 21st century workplace. That means replacing their one-size-fits-all collective bargaining model with a focus on creating value for employees and employers.

But that won't happen because you can't teach on old greedy dog to learn new tricks.

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| 942 views | | 6 replies (last March 15, 2017) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+MisasNi

6 replies (most recent on top)

You lost me when you said Altice is a great company

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Post ID: @1ule+MisasNi

I am not misinformed. Do your research.

An at will definition=

[A]n employer may terminate its employees at will, for any or no reason ... the employer may act peremptorily, arbitrarily, or inconsistently, without providing specific protections such as prior warning, fair procedures, objective evaluation, or preferential reassignment ... The mere existence of an employment relationship affords no expectation, protectable by law, that employment will continue, or will end only on certain conditions, unless the parties have actually adopted such terms.

Pay attention to the last part, unless the parties have actually adopted such terms.

You adopt through negotiating a contract.

Also, pay attention to the following =

Federal law does not limit the amount of overtime an employer can require, so long as employees are paid in accordance with the law and the mandatory overtime does not create a safety risk. - See more at: http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/forced-overtime.html#sthash.5YvGxfVo.dpuf

There are at least 16 states with restrictions on mandatory overtime: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. These restrictions range from limiting the number of work-hours an employer can require to prohibiting the practice of mandatory overtime in certain occupations. Some states also prohibit the use of mandatory overtime as a means to overcome staffing problems. If your state does not have any restrictions against overtime, then you may be required to work as many hours as your employer requests of you.

Union contracts, and other types of employment contracts, may also restrict the amount of overtime an employer can demand. Violation of these agreements is considered a breach of contract, and can open the employer to a civil suit

  • See more at: http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/forced-overtime.html#sthash.5YvGxfVo.dpuf

What If I Refuse to Work the Additional Time? An employee that refuses to work overtime when requested to do so will likely be subject to discipline. Refusal to work overtime may even result in termination. However, if some aspect of the required overtime is illegal – if the mandatory overtime violates a contract, creates a safety or health hazard, or is not compensated in accordance with state and federal law – the overtime may be challenged. - See more at: http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/forced-overtime.html#sthash.5YvGxfVo.dpuf

Altice/ATS will run you into the ground unless you have a contract. In any at will state, get a contract.

I am not misinformed.

Nor is Altice/ATS. They know it and you don't. If you like what you do, or have nothing else to fall back on, or need more time to find something else, or want to stop the oppression.. .

Get a contract. It's business. Why do we make things so personal. If it's not in writing in the business world, then there is no accountability. Is a one way street and corporate controls it.

Make your money, grow the company, but don't believe the hype. They lie, they scheme. The big shots have a contract. That's why it won't get better for techs. Because they don't have one.

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Post ID: @1wno+MisasNi

Uh "at wil" doesn't mean what I think you think it means. There are labor laws that exist to protect the worker. You can't force someone to work overtime. You can't get fired for simply expressing an opinion in a professional manner. The company can get get sued. Please don't spread falsehoods. I'm just assuming you didn't know better.

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Post ID: @ekh+MisasNi

Truth about unions

If you live in an "at will" state, it is in your best interest to have a contract. By having a contract you are no longer an "at will" employee.

http://employment.findlaw.com/hiring-process/at-will-employee-faq-s.html

Please use a search engine. Know your info.

At will= don't want to go work on special project? Your fired.

At will= can't work overtime outside of regular shift? Your fired.

At will= the rest of your coworkers dont have a problem with it, you do? Your fired.

If you have a collective bargaining agreement, your contract prevents you from being terminated just because.

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Post ID: @upp+MisasNi

Union stops you from changing policies on the fly.

So much effort to stop techs from going union. Hmm...

Union prevents this company from railroading you as a tech.

Don't become like Altice, chasing overtime (money). Your overtime money will not help you once you burn out. You will easily be replaced.

Union prevents. Altice/ATS from changing your shift without notice, because that will be what you negotiate.

Altice/ATS does not care about you. Union does not care about you either. But you pay the union to work for you. They will work for their money. They will be your voice.

If you speak up with Altice/ATS you will be labeled. You techs know this is a fact. That's why you say, "I didn't have a choice."

For example, an attorney does not care about you. However, you pay the attorney to defend you, to plead a case for you, to research for you, to protect your rights, to win.

With that said, would you chose the cheapest, most inexperienced, or an unavailable attorney? Possibly, because no attorney means, you lose.

When you see people say, they will represent themselves, what is your response? We say what a dumb***, he does not stand a chance. Very, very, very, few have succeeded.

Think of being able to still make OT when you want and not when demanded. Being able to be with your family, or to work on your hot rod with the OT money, or to enjoy a nice day off, rather than think about sleeping, rather than think about what's going on.

Choose a good "attorney" so to speak. Don't be foolish in thinking you can defend yourselves. Remember, there are not a ton of bad techs. But most of us techs work hard. You will always have a proverbial 1% or 10%. That's why we are OK with 99% and 90%. Stop worrying about the minority of bad techs who may benefit too.

Research and pick the best representation that your money can buy. Don't let Altice /ATS walk all over you. They put up so much scare tactics for a reason. The reason is, they want to be able to do whatever the hell they want. Without regard for you.

They will tell you when you complain, that you made this decision. They won't admit that they led you to believe something, and decided to change to suit their needs. Union stops that, because you will have a written agreement that can not be changed without your knowledge or consent.

It's business. We want Altice/ATS to succeed. That means more opportunities, more money. But we don't want them to slave drive us, force us into feeling that we are not for them . We want fair benefits, and a piece of the profit they make on our backs. We have lives too.

Stop guessing and saying, "I don't know what's going on." And know what's going to happen, because it's in a contract.

Nuff said.

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Post ID: @hbc+MisasNi

The reason a union is important is to stop you from eliminating jobs at will!

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Post ID: @qov+MisasNi

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