Weak local.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

I purchase all the soda's for the union meetings and haul them to the union house

That statement proves that your local is weak. What's wrong with beer?

Real locals drink beer at the meetings.

Real locals have no need for clean toilets.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

Originally Posted by Movementarian

There was time scheduled for the Union to speak with us during IF but no one showed.

That is unforgivable. You definitely have a weak local.

[Hack]

Originally Posted by Crosstimbers Okie

That statement proves that your local is weak. What's wrong with beer?

Real locals drink beer at the meetings.

Real locals have no need for clean toilets.

Beer, nothing wrong with that, but have a designated driver, and don't drink a lot of it.

Personally I like clean toilets, but each to his own.

[HACKINIT]

Well, you need to find out for yourself about the union. All federal unions are much weaker than they used to be under the Bush administration and if its an oldtimer expecting the same results as we used to get, they don't understand.

Its like they say, "do you like working an 40 hour week, do you like having your days off, do you like getting overtime, do you like your benefits, etc., etc., etc., thank the unions.. The unions are not doing earth shattering things at the moment but if you are in a bind, and you want your case to go to arbitration, you better join the union, cause I'm not paying for any non-member's arbitration. All that being said there are so many things worked out at the informal level you would not believe and that's where no one knows what the union's really do accomplish. Trying being active and you'll find out, try being on a negotiating team and, you'll find out. Educate yourself and see the whole picture, don't go on somone who is a kiss ass saying the union's weak..

Also the more members we have the more we can accomplish, money and membership is power.

[Movementarian]

Cheers for the insight.

[cllingo]

Thats really sad that noone showed up during your IF class to speak to you about the Union. That is where you get your largest signup blocks. Every IF class I instruct, I always see the Union E board show up 4 deep. Usually they sign up 80% of the people that very day.

[Movementarian]

I still haven't spoken with anyone from the union. I have emailed them asking questions about what local issues are they concerned with, some questions about the national level, as well as how to join and what the union dues pay for. Perhaps I asked too many questions at once...

[gijanetexas]

Originally Posted by Movementarian

I have to join before I can drop out, I haven't been working here long. I have tried to obtain information on what the union is doing and how to join, but information has been hard to come by. I asked about weak local because most everyone I talk to says that our is. There was time scheduled for the Union to speak with us during IF but no one showed. I have gotten more information here than I have from anyone that works at my institution.

Cheers for the information. I am going to be a bit more persistent about getting information from the local and once I am passed my probationary year, I will try to get more involved.

Check with American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO and COUNCIL OF PRISON LOCALS 33 for more information. The CPL33 website lists your Regional VP and the National Officers. I have e-mailed and talked to many of them at Caucuses and the Convention. If you are going to complain about the union or your local, those are the people who make the big decisions and help the local union do their jobs. But just don't be a no dues paying whiner riding on the coat tails of union victories. If you can afford to waste money at Starbucks, at the liquor store, on lottery tickets, etc, put your money (dues) in something that will help secure your job and your benefits. Don't let the IF thing get you down. Sometimes the union gets notified and it is on everyone's days off or something like that. Or the person who gets the e-mail is off and no one else knows. Sometimes management gives us less than 24 hours notice for meetings and we chew on them for it, but we do have our regular jobs to do as well. The more people in the local who are involved in the process the better to have coverage for all types of meetings, etc. Our Sergeant at Arms does our IF classes faithfully, but not all locals have someone always available.

[cllingo]

Whenever the IF class two week schedule is posted, there is supposed to be a time block reserved for a union presentation. Its normally reserved for a minimum of a 30 minute time block but sometimes they give an hour. That being said, by having that schedule, that gives the authority for a union official to request and be granted "official time", so they can be there during their time block for IF training.

[HACKINIT]

Originally Posted by cllingo

Whenever the IF class two week schedule is posted, there is supposed to be a time block reserved for a union presentation. Its normally reserved for a minimum of a 30 minute time block but sometimes they give an hour. That being said, by having that schedule, that gives the authority for a union official to request and be granted "official time", so they can be there during their time block for IF training.

The union is not always aware that there is an IF class.