Union

**RoadMap** · November 16th, 2008, 10:15 AM

But a union would kill this industry. The company who has to pay union scale is a company that has to bid higher to make a profit. But will lose the contract to a flyby night company. Or a company that under bids everyone by a couple of dollars per locate to get the work. And you know who I am talking about. There is always someone willing to do it for less. Utilities always say they want quality but money drives the market. They use the quality thing to price the locates themselves. If your quality slips they ask for a price decrease. If you say no they exercise their 30 day out and find someone else. Until there becomes a national certification mandated by the federal government there can not be unions in this industry. I do not see that happening anytime soon.

**ifinditunderground** · November 16th, 2008, 01:49 PM

Take a look at what the Unions have done to our Steel Industry, and our Automakers. It's a damn disgrace.

**Lucky219** · January 5th, 2009, 11:20 PM

Read a couple posts about how union wages caused contracts to be lost. When you have company's like Unibar willing to bid so low that they will not make any money with that contract, with a little luck the companies who thought cheaper is better will find out you get what you pay for. Unions work for the phone companies, I haven't heard of any of them going out of business. Unions can't guarantee your job but not belonging doesn't guarantee a job either I don't understand that argument at all.

Chicagoman · January 6th, 2009, 12:12 AM

Take USIC with 3200 locator spread all over the country. The most locators I have been together with at one time is a hundred at best. So how do organize 3200? It will never happen!! We have CLS locator in PA making 18.00 plus per hour. I beleive USIC is keeping the SM&P and CLS brand name to keep the unions at bay. I have know ideal who I work for. I have a CLS name tag I drive a SM&P Truck and my Supervisor works for USIC. How do you organize that?

**Mke** · January 6th, 2009, 09:16 AM

I took a brief one year vacation from locating and became a contract Meter Reader (non-Union) and made considerably more then I did with Locating. During that time the 6 meter readers were approached by the IBEW to Join the Union. The Rep Promised us everything....but couldn't guarantee anything. I was making about 22 bucks an hour and they stated they would have to renegotiate the contract with the Electric company and would get us more money and benefits.

The Electric company stated we were at the union wage for meter readers already and if we had to add in benifits that the hourly wage would go down to compensate. Here is the kicker. We would have to be an branch off of the IBEW since we were not certified electricians and were not classified as electrical workers. In other words the only benefit to become unionized would be recieved by the Union because in 4 years they meters would be automated and be ran by the Un-unionized engineers in the electric company, and since we were not electical workers we would not be guaranteed another position inside the union.... sweet huh?

4 years of monthly dues, less hourly wage, and still no job at the end of it.

mke

**USIC1** · January 6th, 2009, 02:14 PM

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

and you all are still the same losers that Obama in a few more days will have his way with !!!!

HEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!!!

LMAO

**2RUDE** · January 6th, 2009, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Lucky219

Read a couple posts about how union wages caused contracts to be lost. When you have company's like Unibar willing to bid so low that they will not make any money with that contract, with a little luck the companies who thought cheaper is better will find out you get what you pay for. Unions work for the phone companies, I haven't heard of any of them going out of business. Unions can't guarantee your job but not belonging doesn't guarantee a job either I don't understand that argument at all.

About 5 years ago, a guy in my area who was caught working tickets "at home" on several occasions was going to be let go. He called the union who told him there wasn't much they could do, and suggested that he resign so he wouldn't have the termination in his employee file and hopefully when management changed they could get him hired back.

Anyways, this fellas resignation was what created the job opening for me. After working here for about a year, this ex-employees friend ended up taking the DM position for this area, only problem was there weren't any vacant areas for this guy to work. Anyways, to make a long story short this DM tried to fire me to create an opening for the other guy. Only problem was, the accusations were baseless and easily disproved by my locate photos. However had it not been for the union I probably would have been fired regardless. So in essence the union saved my bacon. I understand how a lot of people take a dim view, and the UAW is a good example against unions.

Personally though, I wouldn't still be working in this field were it not for the union so I can't complain. I've seen way too many personal politics play out in this company over the past 5 years, and I'm grateful that things are the way they are. I'm a damn good locator, and it would have been a shame if my career had been cut short.

**yahoo** · January 6th, 2009, 06:03 PM

i'm willing to say that i'm glad it worked out for you......!!!! hang in there dude!!!!

**sprayandpray** · January 6th, 2009, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by USIC1

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

and you all are still the same losers that Obama in a few more days will have his way with !!!!

HEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!!!

LMAO

Just what makes you think you are going to be exempt from what happens? I have the feeling you are trying to cover up the fact that you "screwed the pooch" in this election and will now have to face the music.

**USIC1** · January 6th, 2009, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Just what makes you think you are going to be exempt from what happens? I have the feeling you are trying to cover up the fact that you "screwed the pooch" in this election and will now have to face the music.

Hidden away in the 401k my brotha!!! 25% this year into the AUL MM fund... why??? because I dont need it anyway...

And shoebox apartment prices are dropping to boot...

**TheCableVine** · January 6th, 2009, 08:49 PM

Don't hijack the thread. This is a union thread.

**beyond help** · January 6th, 2009, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by TheCableVine

Don't hijack the thread. This is a union thread.

RU the union president??? JK

**sprayandpray** · January 7th, 2009, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by beyond help

RU the union president??? JK

Steve would be the Union Dictator, not just a measly little President!

**TheCableVine** · January 7th, 2009, 09:27 AM

This is a bit ironic. I've been accused of being anti-union (which I am) because I asked certain people repeatedly not to hi-jack the threads with their union propganda. Now I'm asking you people not to hi-jack the union thread with politics. Maybe I'm anti-politcs now. Who knows.