Federal "right to work" law

[St1]

@"injunear"

I’ve posted this before but during the dive of the mid '80s, I decided to check out the SIU. I’d heard all the horror stories my first 15 years about if we organized, we might lose our jobs to members with more seniority. We’d lose our “special” relationship with management ect. I walked into the hall in Houston and was surprised there were no child sacrifices being carried out. I walked out with a job on tugs paying 50% more than I was making in the oilfield. Not counting OT and vacation pay. There was a manning scale and if we sailed short handed ( as we were most of the time in the oilfield), there was “missing man pay”. With the exceptions of foreign runs, we worked 28/28, paid transportation, top tier insurance paid by the company, 2 for 1 pension contributions with a wage related pension. We negotiated contracts every 3 years. Some were good, some marginal but we never went backwards but lost cooks for 1 contract. There was no lose of the “special” relationship with management. Now the SIU is no panacea but the 24 years I sailed with them worked out very well. My wages the last few years I sailed didn’t keep up with the oilfield but that’ll probably level out. The “early normal” pension makes up for a lot.

Seems to me that , based on what you and a few others have reported , being part of A union was a good thing… 35 years ago …
Not so much now ?
Most of the items Catherder listed are being provided by GOM companies , with no middle man. No union dues. AND if your employer is not providing those things for you…you are free to Go find another job. Or better yet, start your own company , and provide your employees with whatever benefits you can afford to provide.
I sure Jeaux Boss will tell you, owning and operating a business is EASY PEASY ! Anyone can do it !..