They dont deserve it sometimes, I got a bigger raise cutting them out in January than they secured me.
Comment on Layoffs and the threat of AI: Why Irish tech workers are finally turning to unions
Dojan@pawb.social 2 months ago
Always be in a union.
Squizzy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Dojan@pawb.social 2 months ago
I don’t see how those are mutually exclusive. Where I live the guaranteed raises are negotiated by the work seller and the work buyer unions, but we still have individual salary discussions (which can be with or without union support, of course) where you can negotiate further raises. I’ve never heard of unions getting a cut from one’s raise before.
Unions aren’t supposed to be a they, they’re supposed to be an us. They’re workers joining together to be able to negotiate with buyers of work on more equal footing about everything that pertains to the work life. You might be able to get better deals individually for yourself, but you’ll never be able to do things like negotiate down to a 4 day work-week for your entire company, or everyone in your sector by yourself. That’s the work of unions.
Squizzy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Nah they are a them. They used to be an us but they are no longer related to the workers.
The company only enagages one union, the union chooses what is brought forward and what isnt, they negotiate wage increases and the company doesnt discuss wages outside of the union negotiations. Recently they halted union discussions because they have wittled them down to nothing.
My wage increase was worth less than what I saved by leaving the union.
Dojan@pawb.social 2 months ago
That’s not how it works here. Sounds like your unions are useless and need to be remade. We generally have large unions covering entire sectors. Some work better than others, naturally, they are human organisations after all. Ultimately, thanks to them we don’t have things like a legally mandated minimum wage and such.
There’s a big push among workers to make a switch over to a 4 day work week. Naturally the work buyers are pushing against that, but given that there’s been way too long since any similar change has been made, and productivity has gone up as much as it has, it’s long since due. Honestly, workers should be rioting in the streets at this point.
fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Did you conaider running to rep to fix that?
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
I wish managers could be in a union. But after a certain point you’re expected to side with the company no matter what.
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
That’s not true, you can still join a union, and you can always make a choice
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
How high of a level though and where at? pushing upper level, near executive.
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
It’s possible to be in a union at any level as long as you don’t own the company
noxypaws@pawb.social 2 months ago
That’s what you signed up for tho.
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Not really. I became a manager to help make things better for the front line workers. Problem is there is only so much within my sphere of control until I get up high enough. More than once I’ve been scolded for siding with the workers but that hasn’t changed who I am.