forced picket duty

[hans1117]

What is the name of your state? Illinois, i am a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) this local union, last year, instituted a "mandatory" picket duty rule in the by-laws of the local union. stating by a random method, your name will be chosen for picket duty one day per year. there is no stated penalty for not fulfilling this requirement, however, the union could simply file charges against you based on a violation of a union by-law, then pursue you civilly for collection of a fine imposed on you. my question is, less leaving the union, how do i avoid this picket duty? i would categorize myself as an objector based on moral, religious, and ethical grounds, due to the causes and people the union supports. -----what do i do????? i will not walk a picket line for a union!!!!

[HappyHusband]

Originally Posted by hans1117

What is the name of your state? Illinois, i am a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) this local union, last year, instituted a "mandatory" picket duty rule in the by-laws of the local union. stating by a random method, your name will be chosen for picket duty one day per year. there is no stated penalty for not fulfilling this requirement, however, the union could simply file charges against you based on a violation of a union by-law, then pursue you civilly for collection of a fine imposed on you. my question is, less leaving the union, how do i avoid this picket duty? i would categorize myself as an objector based on moral, religious, and ethical grounds, due to the causes and people the union supports. -----what do i do????? i will not walk a picket line for a union!!!!

i would categorize myself as an objector based on moral, religious, and ethical grounds, due to the causes and people the union supports.

If you object to the causes and people the union supports, then why are you a member of the union? I mean besides the inflated union wages?

[racer72]

Originally Posted by HappyHusband

[i]
If you object to the causes and people the union supports, then why are you a member of the union? I mean besides the inflated union wages?

So you think everyone should make minimum wage like you do? Your ignorance of unions and what they do is painfully obvious.

[xylene]

Originally Posted by hans1117

there is no stated penalty for not fulfilling this requirement, however, the union could simply file charges against you based on a violation of a union by-law, then pursue you civilly for collection of a fine imposed on you.

You have the answer. To avoid the picket duty in support of your brothers and sisters, pay the fine. (and lose the goodwill and respect of your teammates, that you value at a few hundred dollars.... )

Have fun sitting on your duff, not standing up... and watching as your union weakens, and your state passes even more draconian right to work laws.

[HappyHusband]

Originally Posted by racer72

So you think everyone should make minimum wage like you do? Your ignorance of unions and what they do is painfully obvious.

So you think everyone should make minimum wage like you do?

Ha ha, that's funny. I haven't worked for minimum wage since it was $3.35/hr.
I don't know of too many jobs around here, outside of the fastfood industry, that pays minimum wage.


Your ignorance of unions and what they do is painfully obvious.

You're right, it hurts.
But, I'll ask the OP again.
If you object to the causes and people the union supports, then why are you a member of the union?

[justalayman]

Originally Posted by xylene

You have the answer. To avoid the picket duty in support of your brothers and sisters, pay the fine. (and lose the goodwill and respect of your teammates, that you value at a few hundred dollars.... )

Have fun sitting on your duff, not standing up... and watching as your union weakens, and your state passes even more draconian right to work laws.

I am thrilled to see another pro-union poster here. I thought I was all alone.

I agree wholeheartedly with X on this one although the fines could be much more than " a few hundred dollars". It can also have additional adverse ramifications. If this would put a member into a "member NOT in good standing" with the union, there can be many other problems caused by this.

The fact is, you are enjoying the benefits of being a member of the union. The only reason a union is a union is because of its' membership. If the members fail to support the union, it fails and you then lose all the benefits afforded you by union membership.

As a member, you agree to abide by the bylaws of the union, if you do not wish to pay the cost, you should not expect to reap the benefits of union memebership. Abide by the rules or go someplace else where the rules are to your liking. Remember that the next time you cash that paycheck.



and to HappyHusband,

inflated wages?? Where are you getting your information? Everybody can't live in poverty but I don't know any union members that are rich either.

[averad]

Originally Posted by justalayman

I don't know any union members that are rich either.

James P. Hoffa is one rich union member.

[fairisfair]

Originally Posted by averad

James P. Hoffa is one rich union member.

um . . . . . was!! of course, unless you know where he is

[averad]

Originally Posted by fairisfair

um . . . . . was!! of course, unless you know where he is

Wrong Hoffa

James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa (February 14, 1913 - July 30, 1975?) was a noted American labor leader with ties to the Mafia. As the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, Hoffa wielded considerable influence. He is also well-known in popular culture for the mysterious circumstances surrounding his still-unexplained disappearance and presumed death.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Hoffa[/url]

James Phillip Hoffa (born May 19, 1941), is the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He is the only son of Jimmy Hoffa who was also a president of the Teamsters, and his Polish wife, Josephine Poszywak.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P._Hoffa[/url]

[fairisfair]

Originally Posted by averad

Wrong Hoffa

James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa (February 14, 1913 - July 30, 1975?) was a noted American labor leader with ties to the Mafia. As the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, Hoffa wielded considerable influence. He is also well-known in popular culture for the mysterious circumstances surrounding his still-unexplained disappearance and presumed death.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Hoffa[/url]

James Phillip Hoffa (born May 19, 1941), is the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He is the only son of Jimmy Hoffa who was also a president of the Teamsters, and his Polish wife, Josephine Poszywak.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P._Hoffa[/url]

I stand corrected.

[justalayman]

Originally Posted by averad

James P. Hoffa is one rich union member.

I could state that I do not "know" Hoffa. I merely know "of" him.

What I intended to mean was that I know of no members, at the "labor" level that are rich.

Upper echelon administration, as in many businesses, have some very wealthy people. I can assure you Hoffa did not get rich bringing home a paycheck from driving trucks.

Just the same as any jouneyman level worker is not going to get rich from just their paycheck.

[averad]

Originally Posted by justalayman

I could state that I do not "know" Hoffa. I merely know "of" him.

What I intended to mean was that I know of no members, at the "labor" level that are rich.

Upper echelon administration, as in many businesses, have some very wealthy people. I can assure you Hoffa did not get rich bringing home a paycheck from driving trucks.

Just the same as any jouneyman level worker is not going to get rich from just their paycheck.

I know what you ment, I just wanted to be a smarty pants and have some fun :-). I figured that people wouldnt know that J.Hoffa was alive and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

[xylene]

On a serious aside, lots of anti-union forces, and union busters in shops bring up the fact that union leaders salaries are higher than the members...

However most top union leaders make in in the range of 90,000 to 400,000.

$400,000 for a leader of a an organization with over 100,000 members?

How many ceos with 100,000 employees make less than 400,000?

Skilled leaders have lots of options for better paying jobs, so to say their is no dedication involved (as some politicians have done) is unfair.

[hans1117]

i respect all the replies i received but disagree from personal experience. Unions simply promote mediocrity and reward through patronage. also, organized crime continues to be very influential in unions today, especially the teamsters and the building trades. corruption and theft of union funds is very common, in addition to plain old incompetence. Privacy, which unions and the left claim to support, is non-exsistent in the IBEW. wages, pension info, credit union data, childrens school records, and personal family issues are handed out to all the union schills to persecute non-supporting union members.Threats to your job, thus your livelihood, thus your family are common today---these are not things in a history book. the failings of unions is because most of us don't want to be a part of that type of behavior. the unions may have been an admirable concept at one time--and may still be, but i don't see that any longer.----why would i support something i disagree with??? i spent 32 years as a union worker. i left that trade because of my disgust at the theft, mismanagement, and corruption that i personally saw. my position in the trade gave me a very unique view of the truth about unions.---- so i am still looking for any specific advice per the picket issue---Thanks all

[xylene]

Originally Posted by hans1117

i respect all the replies i received but disagree from personal experience. Unions simply promote mediocrity and reward through patronage. also, organized crime continues to be very influential in unions today, especially the teamsters and the building trades. corruption and theft of union funds is very common, in addition to plain old incompetence. Privacy, which unions and the left claim to support, is non-exsistent in the IBEW. wages, pension info, credit union data, childrens school records, and personal family issues are handed out to all the union schills to persecute non-supporting union members.Threats to your job, thus your livelihood, thus your family are common today---these are not things in a history book. the failings of unions is because most of us don't want to be a part of that type of behavior. the unions may have been an admirable concept at one time--and may still be, but i don't see that any longer.----why would i support something i disagree with??? i spent 32 years as a union worker. i left that trade because of my disgust at the theft, mismanagement, and corruption that i personally saw. my position in the trade gave me a very unique view of the truth about unions.---- so i am still looking for any specific advice per the picket issue---Thanks all

You recieved all the advice you deserve. And really all there is to get.

A union is a voluntary organization.

You have also admitted that it is irrelevant to you as you have left the union.

Nothing you have brought up in your new post changes that.

Good bye.