Steve
Concerning the 411 operators...geez, they're freeking wimmin talking on the phone all day!
The vast majority of unionized workers in this country are our lovely POS public employees who are above noramal laws in terms of discipline/discharge, have medical coverage that covers everything from Viagra to sex change operations and have overlapping retirement funds...all at the expense of our taxpaying asses.
I deal with this crap every day. Here's one: Guy wants a month off (unpaid) to go to Mexico to bury his dad. It's during the busiest season, and we tell him we can let him go for two weeks (double the time required under the contract), and that he has to use two of his three weeks of vacation (same rules you would follow under FMLA or CFRA, and as provided for under the contract). He refuses to use his vacation, and has the union file a grievance and an unfair labor practice charge...argues that he is being discriminated against because of his national origin. The union pukes file both without even checking the facts or calling the employer first. Arbitration is held on the grievance first, and the arbitrator throws it out in the first ten minutes, and berates the union pukes for wasting everyone's time.
Course, the dumbasses still won't pull their unfair labor practice charge based on the very same facts even though 1) it is preempted by the grievance procedure and 2) it has no chance.
In all of this, the employer is spending time and money, and even if it wins, cannot recoupe its costs.
This is what is called the "cost of the contract"...the hidden bullsh!t costs the unions impose everyday to drive the costs of Impalas up and drive steel production to India. Unions and their fellow travelers are simply leeches on the rest of society.
Just my opinion of course.
