People think old people arent wanted by the company. The Union doesnt want young people.
22 replies (most recent on top)
All of you who dis the union, you have no clue! Im not in the union only because it is not offered in the business office where i work. But i have enough common sense to know that everyone benefits from what the union does. If it werent for our unions we wouldnt be making what we do, we wouldnt have the vacation and the benefits we have. Instead of cutting the union down you need to get your head out of your arse and thank a union member for all they have done so YOU can benefit the reward. Thank you to ALL of our union members who have made CTL a decent place to work for all these years! Do you people think the corporate CEO's would have given as much if they didnt have too? Why do you think they are trying so hard to get rid of unions? Because it benefirs them, not us!!
You Union guys crack me up. All you guys in Union areas think you have it so great. All the union does is cost you money, and protect the lazy people. The union does absolutely nothing for you, except of course divide the union and non-union workers. I bet if you ask your non-union counterparts what they are making per hour it is much more than what you Union guys are. As far as we vacation you aren't getting any vacation the non-union guys aren't. Make us buy our own tools and use our own trucks. Come on. Fantasyland.
That is not true. You are probably one of the dumb old timers.
"Level 3 should just not negotiate a new contract and see the old guys freak out about how to find new employment."
Ok so it would be like this, no contact since they won't want a Union, if they had to negotiate their offer would be, 60 percent pay cut, pay all medical benefits, no PDP days, 3 Holidays, Christmas, and 4th of July and Memorial Day, buy your own tools, 60 hour work weeks, no overtime use your own Vehicle for work. No Sick Leave.
Now who would freak out? The Union made what you have now possible, if not the above or worse would be the Norm.
Level 3 should just not negotiate a new contract and see the old guys freak out about how to find new employment.
"Everyone says the young people dont care about the history of the union or dont know how hard the people worked to get the things we have. Now that may be true but the old guys will keep us from having a future. YOU ALL STARTED SOMEWHERE AND FORGOT WHERE YOU CAME FROM!!! "
No we put in time and waited our turn and learned, we didn't think that we were on top of the heap walking in the door like the instant gratification generation now.
I am an OLD guy they laid me off you can have my job if it is open
Everyone says the young people dont care about the history of the union or dont know how hard the people worked to get the things we have. Now that may be true but the old guys will keep us from having a future. YOU ALL STARTED SOMEWHERE AND FORGOT WHERE YOU CAME FROM!!!
When I started in 2000 healthcare didn't cost us anything. It was 100% paid for by the company and it also had zero deductable.
Then a few years later the contract came up and Qwest (at the time) negotiated with the union to have us pay a minimal amount, like $20 a month. Now fast forward 17 years and a family coverage will cost you $800 a month.
I would like to know where this no cost healthcare is. I have been paying for mine for AT LEAST 10 years.
"It isn't entitlement, I was more than willing to go on strike. I voted yes to every strike authorization that was offered to me since I started. I am willing to pay the price to make a stand. But you know what? It didn't happen. The older leadership involved with the union dropped the ball.
Also, I would be a fool to be counting on having retirement healthcare through CenturyLink when I retire in 25 years, if I can make it that much longer. So I have to plan accordingly to take care of that myself. So yes having to pay out the a-- for others retiree healthcare, for which I will not see any benefit from pisses me off.
And lastly, most of the current retirees had a career which included no cost for healthcare. I actually got to enjoy that for a few years when I first started, then it all started to go down hill.
I was ready to strike, but the union was weak. It is so weak now, that I wouldn't be surprised if the company was to bust the union come next contract."
Actually you need to really look at the tactics used, each contract recently they go after call center and sales people and offer pay raises and increases to those group, guess what those groups have a high number of employees compared to the technical side of the house, they also are high turnover positions, they offer the increase in like the 4th or 5th year of employment based on salary increments. Guess what most these guys don't last more then a couple years. So they vote on something they most likely will never see.
I told the reps here and stewards they need two contracts, one for Technical and one for clerical, they always bait the clerical that is at a lower grade to power thru a contract.
We are a pay it forward society, healthcare with Medicare and Social Security, you can be thankful the pension fund is off limits and the company is obligated to keep it vested, one of the things they got right in a negotiation.
It isn't entitlement, I was more than willing to go on strike. I voted yes to every strike authorization that was offered to me since I started. I am willing to pay the price to make a stand. But you know what? It didn't happen. The older leadership involved with the union dropped the ball.
Also, I would be a fool to be counting on having retirement healthcare through CenturyLink when I retire in 25 years, if I can make it that much longer. So I have to plan accordingly to take care of that myself. So yes having to pay out the a-- for others retiree healthcare, for which I will not see any benefit from pisses me off.
And lastly, most of the current retirees had a career which included no cost for healthcare. I actually got to enjoy that for a few years when I first started, then it all started to go down hill.
I was ready to strike, but the union was weak. It is so weak now, that I wouldn't be surprised if the company was to bust the union come next contract.
"I have a few problems with the union and old timers. I've been around close to twenty years starting at Qwest, and practically every old timer with seniority was an a--hole. They treated the new crop of workers like garbage.
They abused the vacation schedule and had a sense of invulnerability due to the fact that they had loads of people beneath them. So no matter how hard the younger techs would work, once a layoff came around guess who got the axe?
And if you aren't privy to be living in a city that is the head of your local union, good luck seeing them for anything. You'll get to see them once every 4 to 5 years when the contract is up and they come around with doughnuts and a smile wanting you to sign a worthless strike authorization.
I have a feeling the reason the current workers healthcare costs so much is because we are subsidizing the healthcare for the a--hole retirees. And guess what, the company isn't hiring any new workers to continue the tradition.
So I don't think I'm alone in saying that If there was an option to remove retirees healthcare to help ourselves from having to pay $800 a month for family medical insurance, where do I sign? "
So those older guys didn't go without paychecks when they went on strike for your current benefits, or have to deal with a lousy work environment, or leveraged their skills for pay raises that you enjoy today.
Sounds like entitlement to me, want it all but don't want to put in the time others did to earn it. Yes if your at the bottom on vacation and duty tours it can s---, but if you work and out your time in you rise.
As far as healthcare subsidized, guess your not living past 50 or 60 or else feel your never going to have any issues in your life. Keep thinking that, Nature has a way a snapping that out of your tail.
I have a few problems with the union and old timers. I've been around close to twenty years starting at Qwest, and practically every old timer with seniority was an a--hole. They treated the new crop of workers like garbage.
They abused the vacation schedule and had a sense of invulnerability due to the fact that they had loads of people beneath them. So no matter how hard the younger techs would work, once a layoff came around guess who got the axe?
And if you aren't privy to be living in a city that is the head of your local union, good luck seeing them for anything. You'll get to see them once every 4 to 5 years when the contract is up and they come around with doughnuts and a smile wanting you to sign a worthless strike authorization.
I have a feeling the reason the current workers healthcare costs so much is because we are subsidizing the healthcare for the a--hole retirees. And guess what, the company isn't hiring any new workers to continue the tradition.
So I don't think I'm alone in saying that If there was an option to remove retirees healthcare to help ourselves from having to pay $800 a month for family medical insurance, where do I sign?
Well my issue is that the Union got paid to settle the contract each time by the company, somewhere like 500,000 or more, now if I am in a negotiation and the opposition of those I represent says we will give you 500,000 plus whatever to get this taken care of it seems that would be a bit of a conflict of interest. Then you have to wonder what other deals the broker considering all the contractors and layoffs that happen as well as the escalation in costs to those they represent for Health care and the retraction of the benefits such as extending the amount of days you have to be out to get STD and also the amount of coverage changed to how many years of service you have.
All steps backwards and for pay increments that don't even match costs of living.
Sad part is all of these youngsters are paying union dues. The real sad part is the union has no balls. They should have went on strike the last 2 contracts. That’s what’s sad!!!!!
You left them with that. You caused that. You dont talk to your members or educate them. You want them to do all the work. We lose everything because the old timers are out of touch with reality.
The Young people refuse to look at the history of labor, that's fine, many of us will retire here shortly, and when these young people have no sick leave, vacation time or personal days, are working on all Holidays with no premium payment and not being allowed to take them off while also are working for peanuts because they didn't think that paying for representation was worth it they will know.
Then there is working conditions and health care, won't have great situations there either, go to the bathroom on your own time and we don't provide health care.
Not surprising, you're more valuable to the company if they think you can be there longer, whether CTL wants/needs you.
The roof goes on top on the home. Water is wet.
I can read...makes sense.
What?