In Which I Gain An Object Lesson In The Virtue Of Organized Labor

[serinde]

So, almost everyone at CUNY other than the Big Shot Executives is represented by (and pays union dues to) one of two unions. The faculty and certain random others (e.g., the "educational technologists" downstairs, and the Lab Guy) are part of PSC; everyone else, from $OFFICEMATE to minions to the hewers of wood and drawers of water, are in DC 37. Both of those units negotiated new contracts that just went into effect, so everyone got a nice whomp of retroactive pay in today's check.

Except for three people, that is: $BOSS, spride, and myself. We are "classified managerial" staff. We get benefits like the PSC members, but other than that our salaries are governed by the whims of the CUNY Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Staff Relations. When it pleases him and his court to so do, he issues a "Personnel Policy Bulletin" which declares unto the people that yea, the Classified Managerial titles shall be increased unto 2 or even 3%.

Now, the last one was almost two years ago, so it might be expected that a goodie may be coming down the pike; except that the city and state budgets are both completely in the shitter. The unions, of course, are large and powerful and can say to CUNY "I do not give two tugs of a dead dog's cock for your budget issues, you will give our people raises or we will walk," and CUNY hears and tremblingly obeys. We few haunted spirits do not have this kind of clout, and can go whistle for MOR MUNNEYZ.

(There is also the concept of a "merit increase", which is controlled at the college level, but my gossips tell me that Her Presidentness--a corporate lawyer appointed by Emperor Rudy, she is--has been sitting on the sysadmins' merit increases for, let's see it's now November, so for a full year.)

Comments

[shechameleon.livejournal.com]

Yet more proof that unions have outlived their real purpose...they're no longer saving the masses from Evil Bosses and Big Business, rather they have become the bully on the playground.

When I am in charge, there will be no more unions.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

I dunno, the workers are pretty oppressed by the idiocies of the Civil Service. If it wasn't for this, they'd never have raises (and we are not talking princely salaries to begin with).

[shechameleon.livejournal.com]

Are their skills so specialized that they cannot go look for another job? If your job hasn't given you a raise in years, or has lousy benefits, it's time for a new job. If the place is that lousy, eventually they won't find anyone to work there and will have to change their tune.

Unions, IMO, are not the solution. They may still serve some good, but they seem to abuse their power more than they really try to solve injustice. Particularly when people are forced to join a union whether they want to or not, and must follow the whims of the union (what, you're happy with your salary and benefits? you really need that paycheck right now? tough tooties, it's strike time!).