Union Traitor or Not?

[cjt123]

What is the name of your state? Oklahoma

My name is Tommy [email]CJT123@ONLINEOK.COM[/email] , I was a member of the UA Local Union 344 Oklahoma City for nine ½ years. I entered as a Tradesman after graduating from OSU/Okmulgee and going to work for Natkin Services in OKC with family friend. We later left Natkin and went to work for Carrier Building Services OKC, where by this time I received my Mechanical Journeyman license. Family friend decided to open his own business, KD Roskam Mechanical Inc., and wanted me to go to work with him. I did. I worked with him five more years until the friendship ended. I went to work for a hospital in Lawton, not a union competitor. At the hospital, we hired union contractors - Brennan's Electric, Central Controls, Natkin Service and others. How is this competing against the union???

Five years later I see a flyer with the local union's number. I call and begin talking with Derrinfrom the local union. Derrin checks at the union hall to see if I can get back in the union if a union signatory contractor were to hire me. He said everything was good to go. I go to an interview in Lawton with Luckinbill Mechanical on Thursday, June 22nd. On Monday, June 26th, Mark from Luckinbill tells me he would like to hire me and begin work on Thursday, June 29th. In the meantime, I am still in contact with Derrin to make sure everything is good. Wednesday, June 28th, the day before I am to go to work, Mark drives to OKC to the Union Hall and gets my reinstatement package. Beth checks the cost of my initiation fee, $778, and she fills out the reinstatement package and I was to sign and fill out the rest. Not 1, not 2, but 3 people checked my eligibility to be reinstated back into the union.

Now imagine going to your first day of work at a new place, (Thursday, June 29th) meeting everyone, receiving your service van, and all of a sudden the boss (Mark ) comes out and asks if you can get your old job back and then goes on to tell you that he will drive you home because the union will not allow you back in. They said they were going to pay me for a day's work and benefits. Now also imagine the hurt of your wife when you are dropped off at your front door by the boss of the place you were supposed to be working for.

Now my conversation with Don, the head of the Local 344 was interesting. He had a threatening and demeaning personality toward me. He quoted union bylaws that stated he is the only one who decides who gets in the union or not. Fine, so he decides. Where was he before I quit my job!!! Basically, because of a lack of good communication between him and others at the union, I was left without a job. When I would try to get him to understand where this leaves me- without a job- he said I was just trying to make him feel bad and put a guilt trip on him. He called me a traitor for leaving for a non-union job because I thought the grass was greener on the other side and told me I was working for SCABS. The grass wasn't greener on the other side, I took a $4 an hour pay cut and had more than $200 taken out of my check every other week for insurance just to get out of the friendship gone bad-work situation I was in. He said I used the union to become a Journeyman and then took my skills elsewhere. I corrected him. I came in as a tradesman. Then he said I just wanted to work in Lawton union jobs. Again I corrected him, Carrier and Natkin both were in OKC and I drove all over the state with those two companies. He told me I didn't resign from the union correctly. Well, again, they had a secretary named Martha, whom they have since terminated, who told me what I needed to do and I did it. They were willing to add to my cost of being reinstated because of bad information from a terminated secretary. The second day I talked with Don, he was somewhat nicer, but still questioned my honesty, integrity, etc. He took down names of references, but said this was like he was giving my preferential treatment and he would check them at his own pace. He said since I was vested in the union that it made it worse since I left and wanted back in. He also said someone who had no union experience was more worthy of being allowed in than I would ever be because now I wasn't trustworthy. He said he would find out everything about me, including if I owed the IRS. I told him I hope the IRS owes me. Don also said Derrin would be in contact with me to give me an application to the union because I needed to fill out a new application. I never got a call.

The union recruiter, Derrin was more worried about me blaming him then he was about helping get everything straight. Derrin told me he would call me back. He never did. I left messages. Donhasn't called me back either.

Now, tell me, am I a SCAB? Did I deserve to be treated this way as an American worker? Does every man in Don's position fill this way about reinstatement?
Update: As of July 25th, they have failed to pay for the day I went to work for them before driving me home.
"The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families - to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation."

[xylene]

Originally Posted by cjt123

"The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families - to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation."

Too bad men like Don and Derrin have turned that noble motto into nothing but an advertising and lobbying slogan and the mighty American trade union into an old-boys-club that does nothing but keep eager workers like you out of a job and jack the cost of labor for the consumer.

I say that as a pro union patriot.

Consider moving to North or South Carolina. You will have a great quality of life, plenty of work at good pay and benefits, and the only thing that gets called a scab is clotted blood.

Good luck.

[stratus]

Call the international Union. They are over the local and may help you. Good Luck.

[LSCAP]

This is a little late, but North Carolina is a right to starve state.

Strongly anti-union.

Also a right to fire state.

Don't come here if you want a decent pay check.

There is plent of work for 7 or 8 dollars an hour.

They also have mastered the "Bottom line" . They hire you, promise 40 hr week and permanant position, then lay you off as "seasonal" or "temporary"