4 ms·

I used to work for a union. Now in grad school, live with the grad student union treasurer. 1. your pay is very pathetic even for TAs. 2. You can find how muc

I used to work for a union. Now in grad school, live with the grad student union treasurer. 1. your pay is very pathetic even for TAs. 2. You can find how much your officers and staff are getting paid here: http://www.dol.gov/esa/olms/regs/compliance/rrlo/lmrda.htm http://www.dol.gov/esa/olms/regs/compliance/rrlo/lmrda.htm At my school, officers get a $50 honorarium month, and staff get nonprofit compensation (low pay, decent benefits, and the thanks of thousands). 3. Some one described them as a "mob of idiots." A democratically run organization of graduate students is a "mob of idiots"? What does that make the United States? 4. Management gets the union they deserve. The big 3 have disfunctional management so they get a disfunctional union as well. 5. The Big 3 have been pissing away all their profits while ignoring their building obligations for decades. It's management's job to make sure the budget works. You don't get paid to make those decisions. 6. It's a matter of priorities. You aren't a priority (and a football stadium or refurbished admin offices are) unless you make yourself one. 7. The time to start worrying about this is way sooner in the bargaining process. Don't need to be on the negotiating team, but know who they are and tell them what you do and don't want. If you don't participate, don't expect to get what you want. 8. Union internationals typically have very little control over union locals. SEIU being the exception. 9. There are crap unions, though they are far rarer than the WSJ editorial page would have you believe. Unions with active membership are almost never corrupt, self-serving or mismanaged, just like any healthy democratic organization. 10. I have noticed a pattern of common but very short strikes in academia. I suspect Presidents feel they have to demonstrate fiscal restraint, but the vast majority would much rather move on and get back to education. Except corrupt self-serving bastards: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Joel_Trachtenberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Joel_Trachtenberg Hilarious and sad note: your strike pay is equal to your TA pay. This is very uncommon.

ojbyrne 18y ago
That last point (strike pay == TA pay) sort of makes it a no-brainer, doesn't it?
- jodrellblank 18y ago
  There's still a consideration of how much disfavour and future problems it may bring.
Xichekolas 18y ago
Your #4 is insightful. Functional management that treats their employees well don't tend to attract unions at all. While one can argue that some unions are quite predatory in expanding their membership, just the fact that a workplace becomes unionized says a lot about the failings of management. The flip side is that unions tend to overstay their need. Once the union forms and gets what it wants, it tends to stick around and start looking for other things to campaign for. I would consider joining a union in order to address a specific grievance, but I don't think they should be permanent institutions. Once they accomplish their goal, they should automatically disband. Making them permanent allows them to respond more quickly, but it also makes them vehicles for those seeking power, which means they usually overreach.
- anthonyb 18y ago
  Functional management will actually encourage unions, since it's easier to deal with your employees as one entity, rather than in bits and pieces. A good union will also help to keep your workplace safe, employees happy, etc. etc. Also note that it's hard to start up a union if you don't already have one, since a hostile management will tend to sack anyone who looks like they might start getting organised, as well as choking off channels of communication.

ojbyrne 18y ago

That last point (strike pay == TA pay) sort of makes it a no-brainer, doesn't it?

jodrellblank 18y ago
There's still a consideration of how much disfavour and future problems it may bring.

Xichekolas 18y ago

Your #4 is insightful. Functional management that treats their employees well don't tend to attract unions at all. While one can argue that some unions are quite predatory in expanding their membership, just the fact that a workplace becomes unionized says a lot about the failings of management. The flip side is that unions tend to overstay their need. Once the union forms and gets what it wants, it tends to stick around and start looking for other things to campaign for. I would consider joining a union in order to address a specific grievance, but I don't think they should be permanent institutions. Once they accomplish their goal, they should automatically disband. Making them permanent allows them to respond more quickly, but it also makes them vehicles for those seeking power, which means they usually overreach.

anthonyb 18y ago
Functional management will actually encourage unions, since it's easier to deal with your employees as one entity, rather than in bits and pieces. A good union will also help to keep your workplace safe, employees happy, etc. etc. Also note that it's hard to start up a union if you don't already have one, since a hostile management will tend to sack anyone who looks like they might start getting organised, as well as choking off channels of communication.