What good is this Union?

Question

i work for a large company who has an union,but i have a hard time finding the benefits.its a food processing plant the job pay is based on class(or difficulty of job),the lowest class and highest class pay scale only differs by .50 per hour for the line workers,but if you want a higher paying job there, like a superviser or quality control or something ,they are NON-union jobs.there are people there 30-40yrs who make virtually the same as me,ive been there a year,unless you get a non-union job at the company your basically stuck making the lowest pay scale.plus we work almost every saturday and are given only one day notice if we will work saturday ,we work every holiday except christmas(we do get double pay for holidays)and we have mandatory overtime,we find out we have to stay late at the time we are supposed to get off.(which makes it hard for employees with kids they might need to pick up from daycare).isnt the union supposed to help employees have rights against this stuff?

Answer 1

Unfortunately if it is a union plant, the wages you mention were all agreed upon by the union and the plant the last time the contract was renewed.

I know where your coming from, I work in a packing plant myself, but we are non unioin. I am no stranger to 6 day work weeks.

It's too bad, but these are the conditions your union agreed upon, so it would be up to you and your fellow employees to voice your displeasure to your union steuart and try to make changes when the contract needs to be renewed.

The plant you work at has orders to fill, and I am afraid to tell you that working 6 days and on holidays will probably not go away no matter what.

I has to come to a point where you need to ask yourself if it is worth it or not.

Answer 2

Your wages will only be as good as what you negotiated in your CBA.  Union members are supposed to have better terms and conditions than non-unionized workers.  The message that your company is sending is clear: do not join the union and you get better terms and conditions of work.  

If your union does not realize what it is supposed to do, its leadership can contact the ILO office in your country so your leaders can avail of UN sponsored training.  Then everything will change for all union members because of the acquired know how..