Volume 3 / Issue 7
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Mission Statement
To provide quality service to the REAP members with integrity and respect, understanding the member is the priority.
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The other night, I did a search on big unions, and the arguments for or/and against. As a supporter of collective bargaining…and everything in the “Yes” column, I also had to be objective enough to look at it from a “No” point of view. Good points on both sides, but I can say with certainty, I don’t agree with everything on the No side, but I don’t necessarily disagree with them either.
In a Nutshell
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Yes
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No
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- Unions protect workers from
various company abuses such as unsafe/uncomfortable working conditions,
long hours, arbitrary hiring & firing, and so on.
- They give workers a chance to
speak at the same negotiating & power levels of the managers and
owners.
- They allow workers to
collectively bargain for wages, benefits, an acceptable work
environment, and more.
- Unions prevent managers from
having to address worker grievances one-by-one.
- Unions give workers more job
security and piece of mind, reducing the stress of possible layoffs
& wage/benefit cuts.
- Unions create a stable,
long-term employment relationship between company and employee, which is
good for both.
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- Unions lead to higher prices for
consumers since companies must pay more for wages & benefits, which
are then passed on to customers.
- Unions make the country less
competitive since non-unionized companies in India, China, Taiwan, etc.
can pay workers far less and therefore charge less and/or assign more
workers per unit of product.
- Unions often prevent more
qualified workers from getting the jobs. Less proficient workers are
often protected from layoffs or firing; thus, new positions open less
frequently.
- Society and companies are often
held hostage to the essential services of certain unions (e.g. teachers,
police, construction workers, air traffic controllers, etc.); thus,
negotiation becomes less about fairness to workers than about companies
meeting the demands of union extortion.
- The State and Federal
labor/discrimination laws, the threats of lawsuits, and the avoidance of
poor publicity all make unions largely unnecessary nowadays.
- Unions lead to job losses to
India, China, and other overseas companies. Non-union shops have…(more)
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Seemed somewhat unbalanced. As I continued to read through the article, a comment was posted by one of the writer’s regular contributors, Erick Orantes. His comments raised a few more questions…At least a few of these supposedly “pro union” comments may actually be working against members of SEIU 721.
When I read #9, I almost fell off my chair! Seriously? Unions stop corruption within private industry? What do Tyrone Freeman, Cedric Hughes, and Bob Schoonover all have in common…you guessed it, all are corrupt!
Bob Schoonover you say? You bet! Bob Schoonover, President of SEIU 721, allows blatant violations of the SEIU 721 Bylaws when it fits his personal agenda. Take for example his relationship with Wendy Thomas. Wendy was terminated as a 911 Dispatch Supervisor in December 2012, therefore she can’t be a Represented Member. Since she does not qualify as a Represented Member, how then does she hold an elected seat?
This minor detail didn’t seem to matter to good ol’ Bob. By overlooking the Bylaws, in March of 2013, he allowed Wendy to run on his slate for 721 Executive Board in the Inland Empire. The thing is this – In order to hold an elected seat on the Executive Board, Wendy needs to be employed in at least one of the bargaining units represented by 721, which she clearly isn’t. So yes, Bob is just as corrupt as the other two thugs. Another interesting fact most SEIU 721 members don’t know, is that Bob is also on the SEIU International Executive Board…talk about trickle down corruptonomics.
In March, SEIU 721 had a meeting for the Supervisors bargaining unit. REAP was there to inform the 12 or so Supervisors who showed up, they could opt out of SEIU. Esmeralda Grubbs, the new IE Director for SEIU 721, told a few of the REAP Executive Board members Wendy was on her way out as the VP of the IE once she finished negotiating the City of Hemet’s contract. It seems there’s been a change of plans…in fact, I think it’s Esmeralda who may be on the way out. Ms. Grubbs may be trying to do the right thing for the right reason, but she can’t battle both Boband Wendy and come out victorious…just as Patricia and Julie found out. No verification of this other than the few City of Riverside employees we’ve spoken to lately, telling us who is still running the show. If things change, we’ll let you know.
In 2016, employees represented by SEIU 721 will have the opportunity to give Bob and his crew the Boot! Take advantage of this…it will be the only
way to upright the listing ship. However, until changes are made to the WAY votes are counted, WHO receives a ballots and WHO counts the ballots, sadly, the status quo will more than likely remain unchanged.
If you’re ready for professional representation and negotiation AND keeping it on the local level, your search is over. REAP has the answers and we are ready to serve. Sign up here on our site or contact us via Facebook or email us at [email protected]
Follow REAP on Face Book – Regional Employees Association of Professionals.
Looking Towards the Future!
