Crossing a picket line

onasis

If you are a union member then you are supposed to follow the rules of that union. Strike action is not simply decided by the union – a ballot takes place first and then if the majority agree, strike notice will be served and a strike will take place. If a strike is in place then it only affects the members of that particular union, everyone else is expected to be at work. If you are a member of a union that is on strike it would not be acceptable for you to cross the picket line and in doing so you could be expelled from the union.

Peppa Pig

Toots wrote: »

I was union rep for my bank branch in 2011, and one woman who crossed the picket in the 70s wanted to get back in the union, so she came to me to do it. When I asked union HQ what the deal was, she was sent out this form, and she had to get people who were in the union at that time to sign it saying they didn't object to her being allowed to re-join. I think she had to get something like 10 signatures. I thought she'd have no problem getting them - she got 3.

OP if you are in a union and they aren't striking, they should already have issued communications about whether you should cross. I don't suppose there's any way you could work from home on the day of the strike?

Is this seriously saying that somebody who crossed a picket line in the 70s could not rejoin the union 40 years later because 7 people refused her?

I'd be surprised if 10 people all worked together after 40 years service. How could you find people that were in a union over 40 years ago, or even still working.

Either way - that is one hell of a grudge to keep.

RainyDay

seamus wrote: »

What about closed shops?

Do these exist anymore?

BreadnBuddha wrote: »

I will never work for an employer who recognises a union in the first place. Without recognition, it's a moot point you're trying to make. Strength in numbers doesn't stack up so well against outstanding performance as an individual anyway and the slightest whiff of a union mentality or disruptive behaviours in the workplace from an employee and they'll be let go. Plenty of opportunity to do so. No need if they're not causing trouble and doing their job well.

The 'recognition' issue is moot thanks to progressive legislation brought in by this Government to ensure that unions can get rights for their employees, regardless of whether the employer recognises the union or not.

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/workers-given-new-protections-in-fight-for-better-conditions-30272478.html

And as for the 'letting go for sniff of union mentality', well, that's kinda how you end up with a strike on your hands. It's pretty hard to fire someone in Ireland without due cause or a large payout.

BreadnBuddha wrote: »

Unions silence or ignore dissenting members and protect those who often don't deserve it. I'm not going to overlook all the bad in favour of the occasional good a union does for a member. Legislation and clear contracts of employment already provide adequate means for a genuine case to be heard or an employee in difficulty to be assisted.

Unions don't silence anyone. Everyone gets to say their piece, and then a collective decision is made - no different from any company board, or GAA club committee or Cabinet meeting.

And how did you work out that unions protect those who don't deserve it? You're about 20 years behind current practices.

hardCopy wrote: »

A friend of mine is a non-union staff member in a heavily unionised organisation, when his union went out his manager had a quiet word and advised him to book holidays for the day, in his case he would have been the only member of his department in attendance and wouldn't have been productive on his own.

It would be fairly common practice for a 'no holidays' rule to be issued and enforced by HR in a strike situation to prevent managers helping wimps to wimp out. If you're not in a union, then you have to bear personal responsibility for the decision to either stay at home or cross the picket. It's your choice.

FrStone

seamus wrote: »

What about closed shops?

If you work in a closed shop but you disagree with the union, how is that fair?

These have been illegal with years....

seamus

FrStone wrote: »

These have been illegal with years....

Yeah, they still exist though. Companies who make it a condition of employment that you join a particular union, and resignation from said union is considered resignation from your position.

These aren't strictly illegal since the employee has agreed to it. But that hasn't been tested.

RainyDay

seamus wrote: »

Yeah, they still exist though. Companies who make it a condition of employment that you join a particular union, and resignation from said union is considered resignation from your position.

These aren't strictly illegal since the employee has agreed to it. But that hasn't been tested.

Any examples?

Toots

Peppa Pig wrote: »

Is this seriously saying that somebody who crossed a picket line in the 70s could not rejoin the union 40 years later because 7 people refused her?

I'd be surprised if 10 people all worked together after 40 years service. How could you find people that were in a union over 40 years ago, or even still working.

Either way - that is one hell of a grudge to keep.

I think it was more to do with the particular picket she crossed - the one in the 70s went on for months and a lot of people ended up in real hardship financially from being on strike for so long. I think it brought about some pretty major changes in employment terms for the workers, so it was seen that this person reaped the benefits without having to go through any of the work it took to get them (she crossed the picket fairly early into the strikes AFAIK)

Oddly there were loads of people still working in our branch and in other branches nearby who had been on the strikes, I think they were in 1976 and this was in 2011, so a lot of the people would still have had a few years to go before retirement. I was quite surprised that she didn't get more people saying yes. I'm not sure if it was on principle, or if it was a case that some people just didn't like her.

seamus

RainyDay wrote: »

Any examples?

Superquinn continued the practice, requiring all employees to become members of Mandate upon joining.

I don't know what the practice is since the rebrand to SuperValu.