4 ms·

If you don't want your employees to unionize, don't treat them like shit.

by falk 13y ago

saosebastiao 13y ago
I used to believe this (I have been in two unions), but after having interacted with them from the other side of the table, I now call bullshit. They are nothing more than a negotiating device. Which isn't normatively good or bad...it just isn't the noble protect-the-downtrodden cause they like to portray themselves as.
runarb 13y ago
In Europe it may be the opposite. At least here in Scandinavia. One need to remember that being unionized is the norm, and is not at all looked down on like someone does in the us. If you treat your workers well you will attract more intelligent people, that can easily choose jobs. They tend to be members in a union already before you hire them. Many students will join a branch specific union already during their schooling, so employees will be semi organized already before they start. Many unions have political arms with tight bounds with the ruling political parties, so if a company doesn't want to cooperate with a union they may find that the whole state apparatus comes at them. Most state employees is members, and the employees, union, other unions, other companies, state and local politician will bound together and slowly bleed dry any company not confirming. Soon the company will have to fight everything from building permits taking forever to get thru to all kind of supervisory organization starting to take an interest into their practices. Anyone wanting to read about how this can look should try finding an analysis of what happened to Lidl her in Norway :)
- falk 13y ago
  I'd say corporations have way more power here in the U.S. than unions. For Heaven's sake we don't even have a national healthcare program. Proper healthcare is typically one of the bigger union fights from my experience. Union is definitely a dirty word here. The people who are most against the unions tend to be the people who would benefit the most. Unfortunately they've been tricked into thinking otherwise. It's not uncommon for you to take a job at Target or Walmart and have to watch an anti-union video or two. The Taft–Hartley Act really restricts union behavior. It makes it so you can't do things like solitary strikes, you have no typically notify your employer 80 days ahead of time if you plan to go on strike, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Management_Relations_Act_of_1947 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Management_Relations_Act... At the end of the day it's all about striking a balance between labor and management. My plan is for all the companies I run to be ethnical especially in regards to treating my employees well.

If you don't want your employees to unionize, don't treat them like shit.

by falk 13y ago

If you don't want your employees to unionize, don't treat them like shit.

I used to believe this (I have been in two unions), but after having interacted with them from the other side of the table, I now call bullshit. They are nothing more than a negotiating device. Which isn't normatively good or bad...it just isn't the noble protect-the-downtrodden cause they like to portray themselves as.

runarb 13y ago

In Europe it may be the opposite. At least here in Scandinavia. One need to remember that being unionized is the norm, and is not at all looked down on like someone does in the us. If you treat your workers well you will attract more intelligent people, that can easily choose jobs. They tend to be members in a union already before you hire them. Many students will join a branch specific union already during their schooling, so employees will be semi organized already before they start. Many unions have political arms with tight bounds with the ruling political parties, so if a company doesn't want to cooperate with a union they may find that the whole state apparatus comes at them. Most state employees is members, and the employees, union, other unions, other companies, state and local politician will bound together and slowly bleed dry any company not confirming. Soon the company will have to fight everything from building permits taking forever to get thru to all kind of supervisory organization starting to take an interest into their practices. Anyone wanting to read about how this can look should try finding an analysis of what happened to Lidl her in Norway :)

falk 13y ago
I'd say corporations have way more power here in the U.S. than unions. For Heaven's sake we don't even have a national healthcare program. Proper healthcare is typically one of the bigger union fights from my experience. Union is definitely a dirty word here. The people who are most against the unions tend to be the people who would benefit the most. Unfortunately they've been tricked into thinking otherwise. It's not uncommon for you to take a job at Target or Walmart and have to watch an anti-union video or two. The Taft–Hartley Act really restricts union behavior. It makes it so you can't do things like solitary strikes, you have no typically notify your employer 80 days ahead of time if you plan to go on strike, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Management_Relations_Act_of_1947 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Management_Relations_Act... At the end of the day it's all about striking a balance between labor and management. My plan is for all the companies I run to be ethnical especially in regards to treating my employees well.