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Apple Illegally Interrogated and Coerced Employees Trying to Unionize in Atlanta, Says U.S. Labor Board
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There are plenty of union members who don't want to be, but are forced to be by law if they work in a given profession. For example, I used to work in the film industry and because California isn't a right to work state I had to join the union to work in film and tv. I know a lot of people would opt out if they could, which is why mandatory union membership is wrong.
Your statement is factually incorrect.
I know more than a few tv/film people, both in a union and not. There's no mandatory requirement to be in a union as there are both union and non-union gigs. Most people prefer union jobs because the pay, conditions, and benefits are way better.
Also, when in between shows, being in a union allows you to keep your health insurance, retirement, etc.
Sorry, but my statement is factually correct. Just because you have a few friends who work in the film and tv business, doesn't mean everyone in the industry who is a member of the union actually wants to be in the union. In California, which is not a right to work state, you absolutely have to be a member of the union to work on certain projects. This is because the union has a stranglehold on the industry, which is a power granted to it by the state legislature, not because everyone in the union willfully joined.
In regards to health insurance and retirement benefits, I bought insurance and saved for retirement on my own, rather than rely on a bankrupt and corrupt pension system. If you want more information on the insolvency of our pensions do a search for the coming pension crisis on youtube or google. Also watch End of the Road, How Money Became Worthless and Mike Maloney's Hidden Secrets of Money on youtube.
You had a choice to be in a union or not. The union shows are better paying jobs with better conditions.
Once again, your choice.
Hyperbolic nonsense.
As I said:
Ever since you first replied to my post, you haven't addressed my biggest point. Not all members of the union actually want to be, but are forced to be if they want to work in the industry. There's no way you can factually back up your claim that 100% of all union members actually want to be part of a union, but for California law that allows unions to require membership to get certain jobs.
I never said it wasn't my choice. I simply stated what I did about health insurance and retirement since you brought them up. You just assumed I was incapable of being responsible for myself and implied that people are totally reliant on the union.
Lastly, it's your choice to bury your head in the sand and ignore the coming pension crisis. I'll bet you'll be one of the first in line voting for a bail-out when your pension fails, crying, "we couldn't have known, we didn't see it coming, I'm totally unprepared."
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I was thinking the same thing. I’m not particularly for a union, as a former employee. It seems that every union out there looking at Apple only sees dollar signs. Apple has their own and I strongly believe their needs are better met and their money going strictly to find their interests.
It’s nice to have people in government who actually care about workers a little
It was pointed out that Apple was becoming more and more like the Big Brother they mocked in their 1984 super bowl ad. Even Apple fans (we're talking those with $13K of Mac hardware and accessories) had to correct that and say Apple's always been like that. They just did a better job of hiding it back then was all.
About coercion, Apple definitely has the advantage there. Besides being a $2 trillion company, they also hold people's livelihoods to control.
I think labor unions are good in some cases. Others are. Detrimental to their cause. I have worked in retail and many of the complaints I’m hearing puzzle me. Especially since on every metric I’ve evaluated, Apple is far ahead of comparable position in retail. If this unions were in place 10 years ago, the compensation and benefits would be much lower because they would be closer to industry standards.
Many many things about the US is a nightmare from labor unions, healthcare system, insurance, etc. An even bigger problem is the lack of self awareness, the hubris that American society has in thinking itself is the best and there’s not much to learn from others.
I don’t understand the conclusion of the post: that if the unions were in place 10 years ago, compensation and benefits would be closer to industry standard. Why would it be?
Just because industry standard sucks doesn’t mean that’s where retail employees ought to be. In other words, if indeed it is true that Apple retail workers are at the top of their industry in terms of compensation and benefits doesn’t necessarily mean they therefore have no reason to demand different.
Industry standard shouldn’t be taken as the limit of one’s imagination. Think beyond that box to creatively see what can be better.
At the heart of it, to me, is the power difference between corporation and individual. Corporate has power way beyond the individual. To attempt some balance in order such that individual has some negotiating power, workers form their own company so that corporate has to negotiate with another company. This other company, a group, is called a union. In a sense, it’s that simple.
Labor unions aren’t just about pay. They’re about laborers having the power as a group, this called a union which is like a company, to have say in their working condition.