Dude, back it down a bit; I wasn’t insulting you at all, just expressing my incredulousness at what happened. Apparently I’m not the only person who had those thoughts and questions, so thanks for providing some clarification.
I don’t think all unions are the same (heck, I don’t even think all locals are the same within a given union; I know my own union sees great differences from one local to another in contract terms, skill level of the members, etc.), but I do think that in general unions are very good idea and I think that most locals do good things for their members, things that most members could not achieve or secure without the aid of others.
“We’re all in this together” means something to me, to my local and to our clients/employers.
To the OP, former union here, at a couple of places. I am not a union worker now.
My first union job was at UPS, loading trucks (the gray 40-foot trailers, not the small brown delivery trucks). It was a P/T shift, 11pm to 2am, in San Francisco on 16th Street and San Bruno Ave. You had to work fast and hard. Each shift was a good workout.
I was young, married with kids, and working my way through college at the time. The HR lady, I still remember her, she was hiring at Skyline College and her name was Jane. The job offered a good wage and, most important, great benefits. I couldn’t believe my great luck in finding such a good job. My UPS managers, Kenny and Eamon (sp?), were fair people. This was in the late 1980s. You had to hustle to get the job done. I loved it – you worked hard, and felt good when the shift was over.
I did that for three years and that job helped me take care of my family while finishing my degree. I did other jobs at the same time to make ends meet, but those benefits were key.
Pure hyperbole in an attempt to draw a parallel about not acting in one’s best interest because of unknowns or potential pitfalls that, IMO, shouldn’t outweigh the need to attempt a positive realization of one’s own happiness & security.
Well, I’m curious even if you aren’t: could you ask your co-workers? Why not ask them why they voted for the union, if they were around when the organizing happened. It may be that, to them, there were good reasons to do so and good reasons to have approved the contract. The thing is, you’re comparing the contract you have with the contract you wish you had; they can help you compare the contract you have with having no contract at all.