Strike exempt

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Facing a bit of a dilemma here, just wondering how other's would deal with it.

My workplace has a strong union. I've had a falling out with them before over them giving up perks of office staff (me) in order to gain more for floor staff, whom are in the majority. I didn't leave the union though. But now the company are in the process of firing an absolute disaster of an employee & it's likely that the union will ballot for strike if they do so. Assuming strike action is voted for, there's no way in hell that I'm going out to the gate for this guy, so if I was to leave the union, I'd be faced with the dilemma of either striking without protection from the union, or crossing the picket line.

Some people are very pro-union, so I'm aware of the consequences of that 2nd option.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Deagol

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Facing a bit of a dilemma here, just wondering how other's would deal with it.

My workplace has a strong union. I've had a falling out with them before over them giving up perks of office staff (me) in order to gain more for floor staff, whom are in the majority. I didn't leave the union though. But now the company are in the process of firing an absolute disaster of an employee & it's likely that the union will ballot for strike if they do so. Assuming strike action is voted for, there's no way in hell that I'm going out to the gate for this guy, so if I was to leave the union, I'd be faced with the dilemma of either striking without protection from the union, or crossing the picket line.

Some people are very pro-union, so I'm aware of the consequences of that 2nd option.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Change companies.

OU812

Is the company good to work for?

If so, go to them, tell them how you feel & ask for a "promotion" to management (title change with small pay bump to make it official), nothing else has to change and you are now no longer eligible to be in the union or take part in any strike

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Thanks for the advice. I probably wasn't clear enough, and missed one vital bit of information.

Has anyone got any suggestions, apart from the bloody obvious one of changing companies?

Stheno

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I probably wasn't clear enough, and missed one vital bit of information.

Has anyone got any suggestions, apart from the bloody obvious one of changing companies?

There aren't any to be honest, unless you go sick or on holiday while they strike

Deagol

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I probably wasn't clear enough, and missed one vital bit of information.

Has anyone got any suggestions, apart from the bloody obvious one of changing companies?

Sorry, was being facetious I hate unions with a passion, having been coerced into joining one once. I was promptly made 'redundant' by the union to keep two useless gob****es in a job, they happened to be friends of the shop steward :rolleyes:

Talk to your manager and see if there's any chance of a change of title that would allow you to leave the union. If nothing else, I suggest getting a thick skin and ignoring the people who might give you a hard time about crossing a picket

Eoin

Deagol wrote:

If nothing else, I suggest getting a thick skin and ignoring the people who might give you a hard time about crossing a picket

Unfortunately even the (seemingly) nicest of people can get very nasty for a long time if a "scab" crosses the picket line.

Stheno wrote: »

There aren't any to be honest, unless you go sick or on holiday while they strike

Yep, I'd be booking leave. The union might well expel you, or whatever it is they call it, for taking the easy option though. I wouldn't take sick leave, as that could piss off both the union and the employer.

newbie2

I feel for you OP.

Is there any other course of action that the union could take in response to what they believe is an unfair dismissal?

Are there any other members of your grade who believe that this person deserves to be let go? or are you the only one?

Do you feel that you are a member of a grade that is in such a minority that no matter what vote you are involved in, your vote/opinion will not make a difference/be noticed?

Have you spoken to colleagues or your representative about the issue?

Have you spoken to the union official?

Jan Laco

The union have already shown they work for the majority, and not for you. So why pay them when you are at a disadvantage. If the work colleague is as bad as you say the others won't be too upset by you working through it.

You have bills to pay, and your own life to look after so I would work through it. I have never been a member of a union and worked through strikes and didnt have any different treatment from Co workers.

doolox

As far as I know if an official strike is called and mandated and approved by congress you are obliged to go out on strike. Otherwise you will have to leave the Union.

This is tricky in the case of a closed shop. You need to find out quickly if your workplace is a closed shop.

You could find and join a different union more appropriate for admin/office workers considering that your interests were not defended by the existing union in favour of the floor workers.

This would depend on whether you would be able to get approval to join a different union or if this would be allowed by the parties involved.

mitresize5

can you work from home on the day?

Explain the situation to your boss, Im sure they will understand.

I walked out of a union once in a semi state environment as they threw a few employees to the wolves to keep an extra 2% in their bonuses. I pulled them on it in front of the whole company. I didn't give a damn to be honest but I was very surprised how many of the other staff came up to me on the QT to agree with me.

Actions like what you have outlined below are what gives unions a really bad name.

Mrs OBumble

Jan Laco wrote: »

If the work colleague is as bad as you say the others won't be too upset by you working through it.

Not necessarily true.

When I was a delegate, I had to defend the rights of some dreadful bollox's - because we didn't want to let management get away with treating them unfairly.

OP, sorry, but the best I can suggest is that you look for a job in a non-unionised workplace. There's no other way I can see this ending well for you.

_Brian

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Not necessarily true.

When I was a delegate, I had to defend the rights of some dreadful bollox's - because we didn't want to let management get away with treating them unfairly.

OP, sorry, but the best I can suggest is that you look for a job in a non-unionised workplace. There's no other way I can see this ending well for you.

This is what grates me about highly unionised environments.

Expecting decent workers to sacrifice their pay to defend these bolloxes demeans the whole thing.

As for OP, unions demand blind loyalty, you can't be half in half out. It sounds like you have a decision to make and you lose either way, you either loose pay on strike or loose out by changing jobs because your "comrades" will see you as a scab and never treat you the same again.

seamus

Closed shops agreements aren't specifically legal and are unlikely to be upheld in court, but are you really going to go to the hassle of fighting for the job in court? No.

OP, if your contract doesn't require union membership, then leave the union and ask your boss if there's a way they can accommodate home working if the company does go on strike.

daheff

Op


I think for this instance the best thing to do is to organise a holiday for the strike day.

I dont know what specifically you do, or the sector you work in, but I think long term you need to change companies (probably to a non-unionised environment).



while Unions have a place(eg public sector group negotiations), most have no other place in society these days. stronger workplace law enforcement would possibly see the end to most of them.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Update: Cancelled my union membership today. Shop steward got a bit sarky, but I couldn't give a sh1t about that, being honest.

daheff wrote: »

I think for this instance the best thing to do is to organise a holiday for the strike day.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Blackwell

I think you made the right move. I would have cancelled my membership as soon as they negotiated my perks away. They're not working for you so why should you fund them?

mahoganygas

Well done OP.

Can't believe this antiquated crap still happens in modern companies.

Do something enjoyable on your day off. Go for a pint and think about the extra money in your back pocket.

Crossing the line can be difficult because you still have to work with these people the following day. You made the right decision.

_Brian

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Update: Cancelled my union membership today. Shop steward got a bit sarky, but I couldn't give a sh1t about that, being honest.



And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Dead right...
And remember, if it suits YOU sign up to the union at any time in the future, they won't refuse your money !!

I know one hospital where people sign up union membership when a vote is forthcoming and then stop their subs after the vote, it happens wholesale.