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After a somewhat enlightening and at times confrontational day, I am curious.
Who is or isn't a member of a union and why?

I am not a member as i am self employed and the boss is ok to me

Slow and wobbly wrote:After a somewhat enlightening and at times confrontational day, I am curious.
Who is or isn't a member of a union and why?

More info, please

6maniac wrote:

Slow and wobbly wrote:After a somewhat enlightening and at times confrontational day, I am curious.
Who is or isn't a member of a union and why?

More info, please

later - We're not done yet

OK, yes I'm a union member ( blue collar ) - why ? - because I think workers should present a united group in negotiations with employers. I also work for a company with between 1500-2000 employees, which maybe a different size workgroup than yours ?

Was a Shop Steward-----> Regional Steward for The GMB & Allied trade union
Self employed ---> 20 staff
So I have seen both sides
Individual contract now ------Due to renegotiate seeing as engineers are in short supply

Wassamarrer matey.........shoulder to cry on / whinge here
I know where and who you work for

NOT. you will find that less are these days and the powers of unions are becoming more defunct as time goes on.

Blurr wrote:NOT. you will find that less are these days and the powers of unions are becoming more defunct as time goes on.

And casual workers were being shafted big time !!! May change with a new Federal system ?????????????

Blurr wrote:NOT. you will find that less are these days and the powers of unions are becoming more defunct as time goes on.

I don't know bout that . . . only because I believe the majority of guys at work ARE in the union (CFMEU).
Years ago it was just about them being bullies and claiming their visit was safety related. I won't go into detail, but basically from my side of the fence they usually just take up my time for unnecessary reasons.
Personally, I've never been a member of the union - I guess because i've always been in a position to negotiate my own terms or sort out issues - and if wasn't happy with something I figured I would utilise wot used to be the dept. of fair trading (blank . . . can't think of wot they are called now?), although I never needed to!
TBH I currently have an employer that appreciates me, and I'm able to approach them and raise any concerns that I may have - and I've found them to be fair and imho they look after me. So I'm happy!

6maniac wrote:

Blurr wrote:NOT. you will find that less are these days and the powers of unions are becoming more defunct as time goes on.

And casual workers were being shafted big time !!! May change with a new Federal system ?????????????

nothing will change... Rudd will just change the name of AWA's to keep the public happy and leave all the rest of the changes the same to keep the big mining companies happy. Just remember that we are experiencing growth when the US is in decline on the back of the mining boom. Money rules politics

ZXRobyn wrote:

Blurr wrote:NOT. you will find that less are these days and the powers of unions are becoming more defunct as time goes on.

I don't know bout that . . . only because I believe the majority of guys at work ARE in the union (CFMEU).
Years ago it was just about them being bullies and claiming their visit was safety related. I won't go into detail, but basically from my side of the fence they usually just take up my time for unnecessary reasons.
Personally, I've never been a member of the union - I guess because i've always been in a position to negotiate my own terms or sort out issues - and if wasn't happy with something I figured I would utilise wot used to be the dept. of fair trading (blank . . . can't think of wot they are called now?), although I never needed to!
TBH I currently have an employer that appreciates me, and I'm able to approach them and raise any concerns that I may have - and I've found them to be fair and imho they look after me. So I'm happy!

agreed Robyn.
You will find that these powers and the powers that allow the unions to prosecute will fall by the wayside slowly. The fairness test is something that they cant control and as long as a company passes the fairness test than the unions can do nothing

I'm in the ETU. Have been since I was an apprentice sparky. Whilst I don't necessarily agree with what they do, unfortunately they are a necessary evil. Before I became management at the airport, we had the ETU bargaining on our new "EBA". Did a great job as we didn't lose any conditions out of the old agreement and the award. You had to combine the two documents as awards were now part of the "prohibited" content. It was about a years work, making sure we didn't lose anything, and still trying to improve our conditions.

A lot of sites wont even allow you on site unless you're a financial member. Not sure how this works today, as I haven't been on a construction site for years.

I've been on sites (Docklands for one) where they just like to abuse their "power's" blatantly. Shutting down sites for stupid things: i.e. Not enough chairs in the mess room as there was a crew working down the road, and apparently they were using our amenities.

The Howard government attempted to rid the unions of their power. I honestly think they'll come back in a big way with work choices falling in a heap. When the liberals admitted it was a BAD thing and said they didn't realise how worse off families would be, people turn to the ones that were fighting it... Unions.

Why are you asking this Adrian?

Also Rob : The Court of Arbitration (which is the thing I *think* you're thinking of) can't make a decision in a dispute unless you actually state which powers you'd like to give it in your new award. If you haven't specified the powers, it falls back to 4 or 6 basic rules which means you usually get screwed over.

Yep, as are 99% of my employer's employees.

They really, really look after us.

Benno wrote:Also Rob : The Court of Arbitration (which is the thing I *think* you're thinking of) can't make a decision in a dispute unless you actually state which powers you'd like to give it in your new award. If you haven't specified the powers, it falls back to 4 or 6 basic rules which means you usually get screwed over.

Cheers Benno, but whilst just reading another thread, would you believe there was mention of 'industrial relations' and that's who I was think'n of.

Interesting replies so far.

ZXRobyn wrote:

Benno wrote:Also Rob : The Court of Arbitration (which is the thing I *think* you're thinking of) can't make a decision in a dispute unless you actually state which powers you'd like to give it in your new award. If you haven't specified the powers, it falls back to 4 or 6 basic rules which means you usually get screwed over.

Cheers Benno, but whilst just reading another thread, would you believe there was mention of 'industrial relations' and that's who I was think'n of.

Yeah, I *think* it's the same one. Just had a name change with all the other changes the new legislation bought in! Well, at least thats what I understood it to be from the explanation I was given!


Sounds like fun Adrian. Keep us posted as to how you go mate!