I love my union!

[Laffy Kat]

Last week my union recovered $200 + in wages that I lost when my manager administered some "creative scheduling" to get out of paying several of us holiday day for the Fourth of July weekend. Five of us filed a grievance which resulted in a ten-minute meeting among union stewards, management, and us workers with the manager admitting wrong-doing. Today (Sunday) at work I had an e-mail waiting for me from my boss promising the corrected pay will be in my next check.

[Starry Messenger]

1. Yay!!

Great news!

[merrily]

2. Give the union the credit it earned: Which union is it?

Last edited Tue Aug 18, 2015, 07:53 AM - Edit history (1)

[Laffy Kat]

9. SEIU. nt

[merrily]

11. I was once a member! Yeayyyy to my former union!

[LibDemAlways]

3. I am a substitute teacher in a

public school district in California. The "regular" teachers have a strong union as do the classified personnel -- everyone from office workers to janitors. Subs are the only non-unionized employees, and we are treated like dirt as a result -- poverty level wages, one $4.00 a day raise in the last seven years, zero benefits, and the latest kicker -- we now have to wait a full month after the last day of the pay period to receive a paycheck. I've tried to get my fellow abused subs to seek union representation, and the answer is always the same. They don't want to pay union dues. Extremely stupid, short sighted, and frustrating. You are very fortunate to be represented by an organization that has your back. Congrats on getting the money that was rightfully yours.

[yeoman6987]

4. Substitute teachers are always paid a daily wage

It is a great job overall. I kinda wish I chose that route instead of full time. I have to have all the work ready for the sub to come in and hand out what I have ready for them to do. You are lucky in many ways.

[LibDemAlways]

6. That daily wage is a small fraction of what the

full timers make. If I worked every day of the school year, I wouldn't crack 20K. I didn't even mention the lack of respect from students, parents, teachers, and staff. I think if you spent a year as a sub , you'd be very thankful you have your fulltime job.

[yeoman6987]

7. Then if I were you I'd become a full time teacher.

With 7 years subbing, you should be well versed in teaching to allow for a good interview. Of course everything is greener on the other side as they say. Money isn't everything. And full time teachers who were respected by the students parents and others went away in the 80's. I know subs who get 85 dollars a day to make sure students don't kill themselves or others. It is a decent babysitting wage.

[Starry Messenger]

5. Subs are very abused.

Berkeley organized their subs into the union. You don't hear more of that, I guess like you said, people don't see the benefits for themselves. Sad.

[Laffy Kat]

10. Our union dues aren't that much.

I was so surprised about how low the dues were that I added a monthly donation in addition to the regular dues. It's waaaay worth it if you ask me. I do know some workers who refuse to join the union because they don't want to pay. Of course, they still get a lot of the benefits. Pisses me off, frankly.

[lindysalsagal]

8. Congratulations! Thanks for posting.