Workplace Rant....What to do?? Kinda Long...Sorry
First, let me say that I'm very happy things are going better for the op.
Now to address this...
Work better. Work Union. Union rep would make BOTH your Supervisor, and the Owner, **** themselves. Just sayin'..............
Not so.
Over the last 50 years of my working life, I've been a top level manager, and a business owner. I've also been a Shop Steward, a union delegate, and a contract negotiator for both the union, and the company, at different times in my working career.
With that background, I can tell you this, without a doubt. There is nothing in any union contract that give the union employees, representative, or delegate any authority over, or within, the company, it's employees, or officers, whatsoever.
Here are some facts that are usually distorted by union employees and representatives. I know, I've been there, myself.
The union does not own the job, The company owns the job.
The union does not pay the employees, the company pays the employees.
The union does not supply the work load, the company does.
The union does not set production schedules, the company does.
The union does not higher or fire employees, the company does.
The union does not generate sales, the company does.
The union does not carry the load of the benefits package, the Company does.
The common misconception of the rank and file union employee (and I was one, once) is that the union has some sort of authority within the company.
It does not.
A contract does not limit what a company can do in a unionized shop. It merely established a set of guide lines that both entities agree to, regarding collective bargaining, progressive discipline, The company still maintain absolute authority to set operating procedure, production levels, labor size, and policy.
There is also a common but false sense of job security held by union employees. Any good union rep will tell you that they can only save your job if you did not screw up.
Any employee can be fired, as long as the company follows the guidelines of progressive discipline. There are also a number of things a union employee can be fired for, "on the spot". The include, stealing, fighting on the job, making threats (against other employees, union or otherwise, against the company, it's property, and even the private property of employees, union or otherwise. Damages to any company or privte property while on company property. Reporting to work under the influence of alcohol or drugs (even prescription drugs, in some cases). For machine operators and drivers, drinking within 4 hours of reporting for work can make you a candidate for immediate termination of employ. Sabotage, or industrial espionage are other "immediate termination violations". And, what many union representatives won't tell you is that
those things don't even need to be itemized in the contract.
And the union will not be able to save your job if you violate them.
...and yes, I realize that this has nothing to do with the topic, but, common misconceptions about unions get more employees in trouble than you can count.
If you like, I can even tell you ( a short story) how I busted a union at one of the companies I managed, with a trick that I learned while I was a union employee, some 18 years earlier.
