Thank God for unions!!

[LazurusLong]

Link to thread: http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Dead-Mans-Switch.aspx
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"This is how you set up the monitoring?" Shawn G. looked down at the system in disbelief. There was a watchdog connected to a power relay to ensure that it was always running. The power relay sat right next to the power switch in a sealed environmental enclosure.

Oh well, Shawn thought, this is what I'm here to work on. I'll get this set up right. He reached into the dark enclosure for the power switch to reboot the system. And missed the switch.

Instead, he grabbed the relay contact, jumped back from the system yelling a word or two that would make a sailor blush, and waved his throbbing hand around. One of his colleagues, arms aflail, ran around yelling "SAFETY OFFICER!"

As Shawn sat there, rubbing his hand, he noticed the cover for the power relay sitting comfortably on a nearby table — he wasn't sure why it wasn't on the relay, but it explained the jolt. Finally the safety officer was on the scene, spreading yellow tape and warning signs, marking each individual outlet and power switch with safety tags. He sent Shawn to the staff nurse, gave him the workman's comp paperwork, and an official incident report form.

The following week Shawn was summoned to a meeting with the safety commission — a humorless, perpetually frowning group that was clearly not happy about the incident. The room seemed as though it was designed to intimidate Shawn. He'd sit opposite the group in a beat-up chair that sat directly under a bright light. It was beginning to feel more like an interrogation than a meeting.

Of course, Shawn was feeling confident. They couldn't come after him for getting hurt by trying to turn on a computer since someone left electrical components exposed.

Unamusedly, a committee member spoke up. "Do you have any authority under union regulations to operate power equipment?"

Shawn thought and chose his words carefully. "No, I don't have that authority, but I am allowed to operate a power switch on a computer."

"Ah," one of the committe said while trying to grin, "but it is a power switch, and therefore it is power equipment, which falls under the electrical trades union agreement." The others similarly tried to grin, satisfied that they'd avoided a lawsuit that day.

"It is therefore the finding of this committee that you have violated your authority under union regulations." How dare Shawn try to use the power switch without proper authorization? "A safety violation will be recorded on your permanent record."

That's where Shawn got freaked out a little. Burn his Social Security card, tear up his high school diploma, ruin his credit score, but God help him if there's another blemish on his permanent record! He still has to live with the last incident that had gone on his permanent record, when he made fart sounds with his armpit during class in the second grade.

Shawn kept his copy of the incident report and swore to himself that he wouldn't let something like this happen again. That afternoon he grabbed a stack of work order forms and filled one out.

********* WORK ORDER FORM *********

Employee Name: Shawn G. Work Date: 05/13/2008 5:00 PM
Work Performed By: Electrical Trade Union
Action Requested:

Please shut down my computer when I'm ready to leave for
the day.

...
Shawn urged his colleagues to do the same — after all, they're not authorized. Gradually, more and more people joined in and work orders were opened for the electrical union faster than they could be signed. The staff needed computers turned on and off, light switches toggled, fans plugged in and unplugged, coffee makers turned on, radios turned off, pencils sharpened (though analog sharpeners were OK).

It didn't take long for Shawn to get summoned to the director's office. "Funny thing, Shawn," he began with a forced smile. "Seems your safety citation got lost somewhere in the system, so your file is clean. Aside from that fart noise thing." As Shawn was about to turn around and leave, the director added, "if you don't mind, could you let people know that they can stop filing work orders for every power switch."

The following month everyone became responsible for small electronics. And they didn't even have to go through an equipment training session!

[slowmover]

What is the point of this? It is old,unsubstantiated, and designed to inflame. LL, 5 posts today and one that earned you a reprimand. Take a break, relax. See a provider, I can recommend several that will help you take the edge off.

[cookie man]

Yes I love onions!

[Lust4xxxLife]

Thanks for posting. Unions are just one more motivation to send American jobs offshore and/or to hire illegal immigrants. The Union mentality is one of entitlement and that era is long gone.

[demsrsb]

Yes, alot of people bash unions. Without any unions, companies will continue to pay workers less with fewer and fewer benefits.
I think, on balance, America is better for their existence.

[Hobbyfun]

At one time unions were great BUT now most of them have over stepped they bounds, I don't begrudge anybody for making as must money as they can but most people in unions do not and will not work very hard this I know from experience.

Take the car industry GM payers they workers about $60.00 per hour with benefit's they is no way they are worth half that money, think about it this way they show up work they 8 are 10 hours and go home, GM trains them to do they little part and mostly that's all they know nothing else.

If you look at the USA as a whole you will find they is a lot of people that work harder, long and with more skills for a lot less money.

I was in the union 30 years ago and was make great money but the union decided to go on strike for more money and most shops shut down and reopened NON UNION. That's when I GOT out. The lazy people would not work and could not get fired because of the union, You could not do something if it was not in your work scope even if you knew how to do it and some times you would have to wait 2-6 hour waiting on somebody else to do a 5 are 10 minute job and THAT BS no work ethic's and to me being lazy. If something needs to be done and you can are know how to do it then DO IT.

Why do you think jobs are going overseas union pay is to high and other countries is building things cheaper.

As for the union if you work someplace and you don't like the pay then leave and when a company don't have anybody to build they product they will start paying better are they will have to close down.

Most places that are union could replace they work force today for half the price they are paying now and get a better work force that is willing to work and not bitch about what they have to do.

I know people that work at different places
Airline - cleaning planes, baggage handlers, $28.00
GM line assembler $39.50
Railroad spike driver $32.00
Beer Brewer turns valves watches bottles $29.50

This is just base pay then they have benefits on top of this
and all these people are unskilled.

And people wounder whey America is so far in the toilet.

[LazurusLong]

Guys.

It's a fucking joke!! In the sandbox for a reason!

If you don't like it, move on to the next joke thread.

slowmover, I've been laid both before and after I posted this so go cyber stalk and count someone else's posting.

[bigbobftworth]

Unions suck, plain and simple, look at our manufacturing sector of the economy. If unions are so good, then why are our manufacturing groups moving operations to foreign countries? So that these companies can be price competitive. Unions were needed not so much to help with wages, but to insure a safe working environment. The unions broke General Motors, and so many employees lost their jobs. And so people tell me unions are good? I dont get it.

[yaddayadda]

There is nothing wrong with Collective Bargaining agreements between labor and management. If a factory is unsafe or if the workers do not comply with rules...then there is an understanding.....HOWEVER national unions such as the UAW or Teamsters are corrupt by nature. The union has too much power over any single entity, thus the bloated pay and benefits which force the company to be non competitive. If management calls all the shots (see Wall Street for example) then executives are overpaid for doing little real work, other than moving paper around.
Power must be balanced, risk must be shared or nothing can be done well or economically.

[crunchtime]

There are three things that are wrong in our country.
Unions
Politicians
Wall Street
Guess where that leaves us

[meatwad]

Hobbyfun
A GM assembly line worker makes about 28.00 base rate. Worked for them 30 yrs. If you think it's an easy job step up to the line and hang 400 rear axles a day.

[Whirlaway]

Unions are organized thuggery ! If they don't get what they want (thru collective bargaining) they maime, burn, destory.