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My girlfriend recently was forced to join a medical union for a new Medical Assistant job. Her "perks": * $38k / year (In Seattle, which is about $3/hr above m

My girlfriend recently was forced to join a medical union for a new Medical Assistant job. Her "perks": * $38k / year (In Seattle, which is about $3/hr above minimum wage) * 2% salary goes to union dues * She can't get insurance for the first 3 months * She was not allowed to negotiate salary, even though she got a 4.0 and a perfect score on her MA test. That means she got the same package as a high-school drop-out who got a 2.3 GPA in MA school and a barely-passing test score. I, as a non-unioned software engineer: * Make more than $200k * Always get health-insurance on day one * Can easily negotiate not only starting salary, but also raise amounts * Am compensated on background, instead of an arbitrary "this is your first day, so you make the same as everyone else" leveling system. * Don't have to pay anyone for the privilege * Don't have to work with shitty co-workers, because they can be fired without the employer fearing retribution from a big, faceless union. So tell me-- why in the hell would I want to join a union?

dv_dt 10y ago
You're comparing completely different fields. What are the perks for Medical Assistants in non-union shops vs union shops?
bbcbasic 10y ago
You expect a union to negotiate 400% raise for your SO and her contemporaries? And thus transform a multi billion dollar supply and demand difference between two completely different industries? Hmm. Maybe your expectations are a wee bit high. I smell burnt straw.
- seattle_spring 10y ago
  Not at all. Sorry, I shouldn't have listed unrelated situations. What I would never, EVER want, is the inability to negotiate salary. Paying someone with a bad past the same as someone with a good past seems outrageous to me. I've proven myself enough to warrant my salary. If I were part of a union, they'd look at my years of experience and say, "alright you fit into the $110k a year bucket. You get an annual raise of 2% every year. Check in a few months to get your insurance card!"
  - bbcbasic 10y ago
    Ok I see your point. Sorry to make my point so strongly but I saw it as trolling but I was wrong. Anyway a way around this would be for the union to not touch salary, but help individuals get a good deal given that they are happy with their salary. I can think of things like helping to ensure people know what they are getting into with share options, and helping with the legal side of things if there is unfair dismissal etc.

dv_dt 10y ago

You're comparing completely different fields. What are the perks for Medical Assistants in non-union shops vs union shops?

bbcbasic 10y ago

You expect a union to negotiate 400% raise for your SO and her contemporaries? And thus transform a multi billion dollar supply and demand difference between two completely different industries? Hmm. Maybe your expectations are a wee bit high. I smell burnt straw.

seattle_spring 10y ago
Not at all. Sorry, I shouldn't have listed unrelated situations. What I would never, EVER want, is the inability to negotiate salary. Paying someone with a bad past the same as someone with a good past seems outrageous to me. I've proven myself enough to warrant my salary. If I were part of a union, they'd look at my years of experience and say, "alright you fit into the $110k a year bucket. You get an annual raise of 2% every year. Check in a few months to get your insurance card!"
- bbcbasic 10y ago
  Ok I see your point. Sorry to make my point so strongly but I saw it as trolling but I was wrong. Anyway a way around this would be for the union to not touch salary, but help individuals get a good deal given that they are happy with their salary. I can think of things like helping to ensure people know what they are getting into with share options, and helping with the legal side of things if there is unfair dismissal etc.