Kianna,
Working at other places, I understand concerns like yours. People like you have to understand that this is a completely different animal. All of the "Amazing benefits" that we enjoy don't have anything to do with the union anyway. Less then half of the company is union. The rest never has been. There is precedent for us to look at here. Most of us (even the supporters) cant name what it is that the union does for us. When the job list of a $400,000 per year entity is based etirely on speculation, there is a real problem.

By the way... I am NOT a union member and never have been.

Again, mabuse, you speak as though workers have no rights without unions. That is simply not true. The "don't throw it away until you have something better" attitude only applies if you had something to start with.

Useless waste is disposed of every day.

Don't throw something away until you've got something better. Janesville already has enough hapless individuals in hapless situations to debase it. When what you do is expendable and easily replaced, all it takes is one agressive ladder-climbing know-it-all manager, and you and your seniority are toast, sacrificed for the cheaper new ones who are desperate and do not care one whit about worker unity.

gwendt, you are living in a fantasy world.
You speak as though unions grant you some mystical set of rights. The fact of the matter is you have the exact same rights as a non-union employee. The only thing that changes is who you go to in the effort to defend your rights. The problem at Woodmans was that when we went to the union as we were supposed to, they were somewhere between ineffective and non-existent. This is coming from a person whose last grievance was not taken to arbitration because "arbitrations cost too much money."

Well said Mytake4U. I know of one overpaid lazy worker who actually told her co-worker (at GM), "They don't pay me enough to do it right." Other than maintaining your own sense of integrity, what incentive would there be to continue doing your best when you're working side-by-side with an ungrateful slacker like that who is receiving the same wages as you are, but contributing far less to the success of the company?

wait til one of these "independent" people have an accident & wind up with a broken limb or sickness. See how long you can work your usual fast speed with these or other problems - then worry about your job being "held" for you.
i don't know too many people who sail through life without drawbacks. Management knows there is always "more fish in the ocean"

I agree with mytake4u and opinion80. Just think how productive someone would be if they know they had to earn their keep everyday.

Some time back I was a union steward for a while(not at Woodman's) and I also realized that the only people the union was helping were the bad employees that were getting in trouble all the time and in my opinion should have been fired. They did little to no good in contract negotiations, my income and benefits went down every contract instead of going up or remaining the same. If someone who they thought might buck the system tried to get on the negotiating commitee they made sure that person wasn't on it. The only thing the union did for the good employees was take two hours of their pay every month.

mytake4u - boy did you hit that nail right on the head!!! - Unions do little more than cover the butts of worthless people - if you are a hard working, honest individual you don't need a union at most places - there are a few exceptions to the rules but they are exceptions, not the rule

Never belonged to a union, I bargain for my pay with the owner based on my knowledge and hard work, other fellow employees that don't work hard don't make what I do, the money that I save from union dues and the union pension I invest in the market. OK I take home a little more than the union package in my field, I invested alot in oil when it was at $57.00 a barrel(yep high oil prices are good to me sorry), and I retire at 48 if I want. I like my way better. But if it wasn't for the strong unions I would lose some bargaining area. So strong union good weak unions go.

when the unions start helping good, hard working employees and employers get rid of the loafers,trouble makers, and down right lazy workers, then maybe more people will see unions in a different light again. right now they are only into sticking it to employers and doing everything to help no-gooders keep their jobs.

It will be interesting to see what happens when there isn't a union anymore. Do you really think that Woodman's will still offer the same benefits they do now? Don't you think the union's presence is enough to hold some of the amazing benefits that you enjoy? It's the "what have you done for me lately" mentality that is eroding our country.

Well all I have to say is...If your not getting your moneys worth get rid of it. Seems simple enough.