Closed Shops

**TUCKER** · 06-05-2008, 04:59 PM

Recently I took a pt time job with a major airline. It doesn't pay a whole bunch, but my family and friends get to fly for free and reduced rates. I didn't know the airline industry was a unionized closed shop industry. Closed shop means, for those who don't know, if you're going to work there, you MUST join the union. First I didn't like the idea of being forced to do anything!

I've worked in unionized industries before when I've worked in the private sector. Most of my working career has been federal so the standards of private industry were often a challenge to me. I've been in teamsters, UAW, and in mail handlers I was a shop steward for more than 8 yrs. I also had a 100% success rate during this period.

A gentleman, (chief as they're called), was apparently dressing me down about a personal issue. He was filling in for my regular crew chief who was on vacation. He chose to do this in front of a lot of people, big mistake. I made him look inept on most of his points and I'm sure I'll hear more of it. Had we been 1 on 1, I'd've been more receptive to his counsel, but publicly, NOWAY! He made a statement that if he were my chief, he'd've given me a less than satisfactory evaluation. I said unfortunately for me, you're not my chief because I've been given exemplary evaluations since I've been here. I later learned this idiot was a shop steward. It seemed quite inappropriate for a fellow union member, a steward even to address a fellow employee in that manner. He sounded more like a manager than anything else.

I wrote a letter to union hq and asked them about the incident. I didn't use names. I asked why it was that pt time personnel pay just as much, just as often as full time people, but get no representation as long as their on probation, which is 180 days? It seems like taxation w/o representation to me. I haven't gotten a response yet, but I'm sure I'll hear about it in the near future. I'm not trying to rock the boat here, but it just doesn't seem right. This incident with the shop steward really did it.

What do you think of UNIONS AND CLOSED SHOPS? I've mentioned this before in another forum, but now your opinion has relevance.

**cc5k** · 06-06-2008, 12:18 AM

Why would a closed shop be REQUIRED? ...obviously because they wouldn't survive without it being required. That should say enough imo.

**TUCKER** · 06-06-2008, 05:27 AM

Would you be so kind as to expound!

**cc5k** · 06-06-2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TUCKER

Would you be so kind as to expound!

If they were really valuable to all the members, then the members would join willfully. It's forced because a lot of members (people like me) would opt out of joining.

**TUCKER** · 06-07-2008, 12:51 AM

Why do you suppose an entire industry would make membership mandatory to work in it?

**KweenSparky** · 06-12-2008, 03:01 PM

Greed

**TUCKER** · 06-12-2008, 06:16 PM

You gotta stop running off like that, especially when you agree with me. I even like it when you disagree! I KNOW, I KNOW, I'M SICK.......I'M WORKIN ON THAT TOO! lmao