Unions are not all that bad.

I am a Union Carpenter. I live and work in Florida. Very thin on union work around here. I was a Carpenter before I joined the Union. I have a very strong work ethic, I always have. Before I joined the Union I felt as tough I was being taken advantage of constantly. I worked more than 50 hours a week frequently and without overtime because I worked for more than one contractor. I could barely survive. I don't have any drug or alcohol addiction/habit/affinity. I am not a gambler. I have always been fiscally responsible. I just couldn't seem to make more than 10-13$/hr. I am a master acoustical ceiling hanger, I am a master at framing and hanging dry wall. I am a master stair builder. I can cope the most intricate trim/crown/chair/base moulding to where one coat of paint would cover any gaps. With all of these in demand skills and all of tools to do any one of them I could not seem to break through that 13$/hour ceiling.

The other part to the story is that during that time was going to college where ever I could seem to fit it in edgewise. I successfully completed an AA degree. Being broke and saddled with debt and still virtually nothing to show for previous 6 years I gave up. Sold everything. Got a crap job in a data center for 13$/hr . Non union sitting in a very heavily air conditioned basically sterile environment doing basically nothing but babysitting some mainframes a tape backups.

There was no equity. I'm highly intelligent. I dropped out of high school at 16 got my GED (98th percentile), started college but also had to start working. That is when I got into this trade. I was young and spongy in the brain. I soaked up all the little tricks the old timers used. I was aghast to find out that while I was making 10$/hr they were making only 15$/hr. I would ask them about the Union and they would spew all of this anti-union garbage (as I now know it to be). I would ask them why they don't ask for a raise and they would tell me they are getting by just fine. I thought that seemed a little defeatist. Optimism of youth I will call it now.

Fast forward a few years and I am nearly a fully vested Union Journeyman Carpenter. I work just as hard as I did back when I was pubescent college freshman. I just feel like I there is a real chance that I can prosper and afford to have a family and live the American dream. I have also started my masters thesis on my dime without a penny owed to Sally Mae or whatever other financial vampires are out there begging to own you through debt. That's right in just a few years of hard work through my Union hall I have paid off all of my previous student loans and paid for three more years of college/university. I own my new vehicle outright and bought a sweet vintage speed boat(needs some work but my skills come in handy). When I'm not working I draw unemployment the same way a bank teller, meter maid, cashier, or any other non union person would. Sometimes I don't even bother because I save money and spend responsibly.

Point is that Unions and the people that are in them are much the same as everywhere/one else. There are hardworking dependable honest loyal people doing the same jobs both in and out of the union. The difference is in the rate of compensation. Sure there are also total slack ass do nothing's , but in my experience they seem to be the ones crying about the lack of work at our meetings. You'd think they'd get the hint. You couldn't imagine how many of those types I have had to cover for in non union work just so gc wouldn't kick the whole lot of us out. Which would have put me out of work.

Best thing I have ever been a part of Is my Union. Don't bash it til you try it. You may see that your quality/enjoyment of life improves dramatically. Unless you are just a lazy skilless unintelligent parasitic lout who prefers to drink/shootup/snort/smoke/gamble your 7/11,walmart/best buy/slave wage away.

This will be my only post to glp. I hope you open your minds a little.