LAST RESORT TO UNIONIZING???

[<DUES>]

THEIR HAS BEEN TALK AT MY SHOP OF GOING UNION. MY QUESTIONS I DIRECT TO ALL OF YOU BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED AT A STATION WHERE AN ORIGINAL UNION CONTRACT WAS ESTABLISHED OR AT LEAST THROWN ON THE TABLE (i.e. YOUR STATION DIDN'T HAVE A UNION CONTRACT PRIOR TO IT).

THE PHOTOGS AT MY STATION HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE AN ACROSS THE STAFF PAY RAISE HAPPEN FOR SOME TIME NOW. EFFORTS HAVE ALL BEEN FUTILE. WE'VE GOT LOTS OF PHOTOGS WITH FAMILY THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE STATION FOR 7+ YEARS. I ASSUME MANY OF THEM WOULD VOTE NO (FOR FEAR OF LAYOFFS), HOWEVER I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BE IN THE MAJORITY. I WANT TO MENTION I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT THEIR CONCERNS AND WOULD PROBABLY SHARE SOME OF THEM.
OUR STATION IS GETTING GREAT NUMBERS BUT DOES NOT PAY COMPETITIVELY. MANY ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE SHOP BUT ARE BEING PAID $10K/YR LESS THEN PHOTOGS WITH LESS EXPERIENCE AT OTHER STATIONS IN THE MARKET. I AM HOPEFUL THAT TOGETHER (THE PHOTOG STAFF) CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH MANAGEMENT BEFORE BRINGING IN A UNION.

-ARE THERE THINGS YOU CAN/SHOULD DO AS A LAST RESORT TO GET ALL THE PHOTOGS AT YOUR STATION A PAY RAISE IN THE WORKS WHETHER PERCENTAGE OR LUMP SUM WISE BEFORE INVOLVING A UNION? EVER HEARD OF ANYTHING CREATIVE THAT WORKED OR CAME CLOSE TO IT?

THANK YOU!!! IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP.

[<stan>]

With some bosses, the threat of a union is enough to make them give in to some of you demands.

I currently work at a Union shop, and I HATE IT! They take my dues every week and give me nothing I couldn't get on my own. The Union contract is so weak that I could tell payrolll to stop paying my dues and there's nothing the union could do to make me stop shooting.....there's nothing in our contract about shooting ONLY being done by union workers...the reason I don't? The old bastards I work with that are Union or Die....I'm afraid I'd go to my car one night and it would be spray painted and my tires would be slashed.

I think if you sit down with your bosses and tell them the staff is considering unionizing, you may get them to budge...however, be aware, they may try to eliminate you before this happens.

[<KentDorfman>]

Dude, it's gonna get ugly, no matter WHAT you guys do.

-If the photogs decide to try and unionize, you're gonna find that tensions are going to rise between those who are vigorous in the attempt to do so...and those who are opposed to it (for reasons you listed) or are half-assed in trying. You can expect the hardcore guys to "lean" on the weaker ones...and for the vehemently opposed to get in the faces of the hardcore guys "I don't need another person taking money from my paycheck." etc.

Also, the hardcore guys might try and enlist others in the newsroom to support their cause. They might try asking reporters, anchors and engineers to help them out...and this WILL cause a MAJOR rift in the newsroom because, again, not everyone out there gives a damn about your predicament--they have their own issues.

A work slowdown might be suggested...or maybe a sickout. Expect suspension if this happens.

If word gets out among the business community that your station might be having labor issues, you cane expect long-time adverstiser to pull out of your station. This no doubt will delight the hard-core organizers because it will put pressure on management. But then the sales department will be MAJORLY pissed off, and will vent to management to "get rid of those clowns."

Of course, they can't fire you for organizing...but they WILL put you on weekends, nights...or overnights....or even make you work an extended edit shift schedule. If you refuse, THEN they can fire you.

The hardcore guys might try to organize a picket-line in front of your station...or at a mall or downtown.

-If you decide NOT to organize, then the hardcore guys will be pissed off at the half-assed guys for not "getting behind the cause." This will result in tension among the photog staff.

Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? YES I DO. I went through a similar situation many, many years ago when I was right outta college. I really didn't know what was going on. I was just happy that someone hired me out of school. But I was privvy to all of the above. I saw LOTS of long-time friendships destroyed...and career destroyed, too: One guy was an EXCELLENT shooter who was one of the ring-leaders; he was suddenly assigned to weekends & nights, so he quit. I remember him desperately trying to find another job and ultimately a new career when he couldn't find a shooter's job in the same city (he didn't want to move because he had a wife & kids.) 2-years later he was divorced--and working part-time at a department store. Again, he couldn't or didn't want to accept shooter jobs in other cities because he didn't want to move his wife & kids.

So sad.
So beware: I'm not trying to discourage or encourage you. Just know what you'll be up against.

[<newly union>]

The only advise I would offer is do not, under any circumstances, discuss a union openly at work, unless you have a signed card! Even then you really sould only talk union off company time and property. If you do sign cards, you are protected by the NLRB, if not...well your playing craps with your job. As for the station switching your shifts and trying to mess with you. If you do organize, once the vote is final, every benifit is frozen. They can't just start screwing with you. If they switch everyones schedules, all you need to do is have your union rep tell the NLRB and they'll put the brakes on it real quick. That is, unless the station can come up with a legitimate reason to switch everyones schedules. Which isn't very likely. Let's face it, the NLRB has seen this before countless times. The station can still be creative and find new ways to screw with you, but that is at their own risk.

Be careful, the station isn't going to care what side of the fence you are on. If you start talking about a union around the station, you probably wont be around the station long.

[freedom]

FYI: For those of you fed up with your union representation. As I understand the situation, the Supreme Court of the US has ruled, and the NLRB enforces the rule that says that membership in a union cannot be a requirement for employment. You do not need to be a member of the union if you don't want to.
This splits in two, depending on if you are in a right to work state. In a right to work state, your right to refrain from joining is absolute. But in a non-right to work state, you can be compelled to pay what is known as an Agency Fee, or Core Fee. This is the amount the union spends on contract bargaining on your behalf. The union is required to separate out the bargaining fee from all the other stuff like training, parties and political donations and you pay only the core fee.
For info and details and clarification on this visit www.NRTW.org (http://www.NRTW.org) or consult a labor attorney.
Not all unions are created equal.

[<UnionJack>]

Originally posted by freedom:
In a right to work state, your right to refrain from joining is absolute. You make it sound great to work in a "right to get screwed state".

My advice to the original poster is - s**t or get off the pot. Either you want a wage that reflects the professional job you do, and you are willing to fight for it, or you find a job at another station or market that will compensate you fairly. If you don't want union represntation, then live with what your station pays you. They aren't just going wake up one day and say "Wow, we really need to pay our guys more". And if you think just talking union will be enough to get them to see the light, you will be sadly mistaken. So bear down, hold fast and fight for a union all the way, or live with what you have.

[<Haymarket>]

Originally posted by &lt;DUES&gt;:
BEING PAID $10K/YR LESS THEN PHOTOGS WITH LESS EXPERIENCE AT OTHER STATIONS IN THE MARKET. Why aren't you working over there?

[Madman]

Maybe he's not over there because there is no turn-over and everyone that is there, is happy. Would you leave if you worked at the top rated, highest payed stations in the market that happens to be unionized? They have to be doing something right!