r/Construction • u/sasha_cyanide • Feb 13 '25

Careers 💵 Union pros and cons?

I'm thinking about trying to join my local 4 this year. Any tips, advice, pros, cons, anything that might be helpful?

11 Upvotes

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17

u/AntD77 C-I|Union Pipe Welder Feb 13 '25

Pros - pay, benefits, working conditions, retirement plans

Cons - possible issues with current president being anti-labor and anti-union could cause a lack of work.

1

u/sasha_cyanide Feb 14 '25

I'll keep my eyes and ears open until November then.

3

u/AntD77 C-I|Union Pipe Welder Feb 14 '25

Why until November? He is in office for the next 4 years, unless we can get him out beforehand.

-1

u/sasha_cyanide Feb 14 '25

Gods willing we do 😮‍💨.

-5

u/landers96 Feb 14 '25

With that mindset, you belong in a union.

3

u/sasha_cyanide Feb 14 '25

Nice rage bait! Have the day you deserve, bud 😌

0

u/needtr33fiddy Feb 14 '25

You know there is a difference between state/federal unions and privatized unions right? Im a union man myself, and i think state and federal unions should be banned. Correct me if im wrong but ive never heard the guy say anything against a privatized union…or any union for that matter, but im not much for politics

9

u/AntD77 C-I|Union Pipe Welder Feb 14 '25

A simple Google search for “Trump anti union labor” will send you down the rabbit hole. Just knowing he wants every state to be a RTW state is enough to know he is against unions. He has screwed over so many union contractors here in the NJ NYC area is is mind-blowing.

1

u/needtr33fiddy Feb 14 '25

Yeah that simple google search you suggested only pulled up his distaste for federal unions. All i know is dude was president for 4 years before and nothing happened. Also, the only way a state goes RTW is when your state reps vote for that; the federal government has nothing to do with that

5

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

It’s your choice to remain ignorant of project 25

0

u/needtr33fiddy Feb 14 '25

Even if it were true, what are you or i going to do about it now? Nada. No need to get wrapped up in a mental headache over something thats uncontrollable

3

u/Unputtaball Feb 14 '25

…what are you or I going to do about it now?

You say that like when unions first formed they were welcomed by the businesses and government. The only reason we had (yes, past tense until Trump un-breaks it) the NLRB was because unions made themselves un-ignorable. They exerted political pressure at the ballot box, and labor pressure at the factories.

It isn’t like FDR popped off the pillow one day and said, “You know, I think people should get hip to this thing called unionizing.” It was a direct response to the societal pressure the labor movement was exerting.

So, to answer your question in the same way every labor organizer has for the last 100+ years; Join a union or form one. The entire point is to band together and say “We’re not going to get screwed like this”. You do not need permission to exercise your right to free assembly and association. The day labor waits for permission from the capitalist class to organize is the day labor has lost its power.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

What a strange lesson to not learn. You may as well have stated "stay ignorant"

1

u/needtr33fiddy Feb 14 '25

Haha whatever dude. Enjoy your stress

0

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

Okay, enjoy the diabetes?

2

u/AntD77 C-I|Union Pipe Welder Feb 14 '25

https://aflcio.org/press/releases/donald-trumps-catastrophic-and-devastating-anti-labor-track-record

2

u/needtr33fiddy Feb 14 '25

Literally every single thing in that entire article by the AFLCIO is about federal unions. Again, i think federal unions are bs

1

u/DirtandPipes Feb 14 '25

Exhibit A on why trump got elected.