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If a union isn't democratically controlled by the workers it's not a proper union, and if it is, it is possible to make work for the majority of its employees,
by kazagistar 7y ago
If a union isn't democratically controlled by the workers it's not a proper union, and if it is, it is possible to make work for the majority of its employees, at the very least. So what's the full story you are missing here?
- bpodgursky 7y agoUnion bosses have control over raises, promotions, and hours granted to members. They also have built-in powers of communication and messaging control (both publicly and within the union) In corrupt unions, the bosses absolutely will use that power to punish employees seen as challenging their authority or a leadership change. Saying "oh, they can vote them out" sounds great from the outside, but if you have a family, you're not going to start an insurrection if it means losing your job, healthcare, and getting blacklisted from being employed in other (union) shops.
- gamblor956 7y agoThis is a very wrong understanding over how unions work these days. Union "bosses" don't control raises, promotions, or hours, and haven't for several decades. Union bosses simply don't have the power they used to have (and for some reason, are still portrayed as having in TV or movies). The Irishman, for example, is based on a decades-old perception of union bosses that was only ever true of the NY-based unions...decades ago. "Superstore" on NBC is actually a pretty accurate portrayal of how unions work in real life: pretty mundane, and not all that different from being non-unionized.
- bpodgursky 7y agoI'm not saying this is universally true. There are a lot of decent unions. But the longshoreman unions, for example, absolutely still work this way.