This will be an odd one I think, this is a rant about unions. To which I say the solution is more unions. Hear me out on this one...

Those who know me well will know that I am almost constantly bitching about something. Usually people, in the form of traffic, being assholes, jerks, rude to other people, just... generally I have always been bitching about something. Now those who I like, listen to the rant and actually hear what I am complaining about and see the point that I am making. My latest rants have been about 'politics' in this day and age... but... it's not really about politics, it is about the system that enables this to continue to exist.

This isn't me ranting about the whole process, just part of those that contribute to it, unions. If you work FOR one, not being represented by a union, but actually work FOR a union, you might see this too. Where I work is part of one of the more... juggernaut-y union entities. Kind of one of those forces that has enough political sway that you know do not make them an enemy. My connection to them now is a bit more... weird, but it is still there. Now who they are now is weaker yes, but their power is enough people generally do not mess with them. I thought they were a state powerhouse, but from interviews out of state I've learned that they are pretty much a part of one of the power players in the labor world. ... ... yet oddly enough I never really heard about them on the east coast... ... huh.

Anywho... THEY SUCK! Pay is not amazing, benefits are comparable enough to the people they represent but are materially worse on every level, they do not practice what they preach, and they take member's money and spend it on things that do not help their membership in any way shape or form. IE, they use the money for politics.

So why say we need more? Because the union is too big. Smaller unions working together would ensure appropriate local control (hence the 'Locals' of a union) but when they band together to form some powerful thing they just... kind of drown out your voice for the interests of the higher ups within the union, it is frustrating as hell. I've met some unions already doing this, splintering away from the large, focussing on the local issues that legit matter to their membership (good pay, benefits, a pension, strong zealous advocacy and member enrichment) they bring back the 'brother and sisterhood' of the union. It's wonderful, love it. Legit wanted to join but didn't want to have to uproot my family to do it.

Now the catch is... how do you fight the big guy? Simple, big union. If your entity is big, you be big. If it is small, no need to be hilariously large. I think in the end this kind of fizzles out into a 'we already have the solution, but the solution fucked itself up so we need to restart it again' argument, which sucks and is tremendously disappointing. Big unions have big pockets which provides you attorneys, staff, strength, stuff like that. But the issue is where was that money spent? Unions, if they wanted to, could redirect their resources internally again and focus on the locals that matter. But for whatever reason a large number choose not to, they fritter the money away on themselves, fancy cars, buildings that cost WAY too much money when they could scale down and focus on a more remote centered approach and spend that money on their membership. But... they just refuse to do so. It's annoying and it just leaves me going wtf all the time and making me rant about it.

And then seriously consider leaving the labor movement as a whole since this is not what I signed up for.

Muzu