Unions had their day. They were a good idea when the worker was truly being exploited. These days, there are still areas where a union is probably useful, but for the most part I don’t think they’re worth it and they cause more problems than they are worth.
Here’s a simple example of how unions caused a stupid problem. Years ago, I was travelling in New York. On my way back to the hotel after work, I stopped and got some food to take back to my room. When I got there, I realized that they didn’t give me a fork. So I went down to the lobby and asked if they could give me a fork to use. The guy behind the desk said “sure” and went to the back to get one. When he came back, he apologized, embarrassed, and explained that he couldn’t give me a fork. He wasn’t allowed, he said, because union rules dictated that a union worker had to bring the fork to my room. Remember, I’m standing right there, and could get the fork in seconds, but they want to waste 15 minutes while I and a union server both go up to my room. Then he said that it would also cost me a $2 delivery charge – for a fork!
So instead of that stupidity I ended up going around the corner to a nearby take-out restaurant and grabbed a plastic fork. No problems.
The stupidity of this example of implementing union rules has stuck with me, and has for years colored my response to room service specifically, and other union service workers more generally. I don’t tip nearly as well as I used to, for example, even if I’m on an expense account.
[tags]unions, room service, gratuity, hotels[/tags]
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I agree! And unions love to intimidate anyone who disagrees with them and their practices. Recieved any hate mail on this posting yet?
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Nope. I’m a little surprised, actually, that you’re the first non-spam comment to come across about this post.
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unions are not all bad like this. some yes, some no. i work for one and love my job and what we do, but we have a total douche bag for a leader.
my point was not to fight that fact that you agree with only what you know. My point is just becuase a worker in the service sector is union does not mean they make good money. your contract dictates what you make. most workers make just enough to get by. be a decent human and actually leave a tip.
the fork is stupid, yes. but how would you like if somebody else starting doing your job and then guess what?!?!?!?! you get fired. just try to understand that some people cant stand up to their boss. they need unions.
in fact, i feel like calling you a douche bag just for saying this stuff. douche bag.
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Jeff says:
December 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi Mary Ann. I don’t get enough controversy on this blog, so thanks for taking a personal shot. Keeps it interesting.
Anyway… as I said in the post, I recognize there are still areas where unions can be useful, and I didn’t say I don’t tip, just that I don’t tip as well. Prior to this incident, I’d been known to tip as high as 50% for good service (really good service, that is). That was rare, but it happened (and admittedly, usually on lower value totals – $30 or less). More typical was 20-25%. After the incident, it’s down a bit to 10-18% depending on service, though in the two years since this post was written (and almost 10 years since the fork stupidity) it’s getting back to 15-20%. I’m more critical of service than I was before, too.
My point, though, was not my personal tipping habits, but that unions impose some purely stupid rules that make service into a disservice. And that disservice imposed on the customer then translates into a disservice for the union workers that the union is purportedly helping (as you point out). It’s short term thinking, and it’s stupid.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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Danny says:
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Mary Ann, your concern for people who do not get paid is admirable, but, companies do not fire employees, they just
break the news. I work in an environement that has a union, people can get fired just as easy as non union folks.
The union wants you to believe they can save our jobs, truth is, they can’t. Worst decision I ever made was voting
yes to the 1199c in PA, they have not filed one unfair practice to protect the “people” as they promised. They are
more worried about who is going to win an election (Political and personal interests) and how they can raise money
to help. We went on strike once, did the union pay my salary???? NO!!!! I lost money, my bills kept coming, I
tried to borrow money but it did not help me.
Lastly, I understand the union wanted to increase my pay and thought it was about me, truth is, it was not about
me, the worker. They wanted my dues but I was blind because I too had a bad manager. Worst Part for me,
I am told all the time that I am one of the best workers if not THE best worker. I get the same raise as everyone
else and I promise you they don’t work as hard as I do. FRUSTRATED to no end. I wish I could go back in time
when the 1199c was promising me $, Benefits, Job Security, etc……. and remove the emotion at that time.
To finish up, the manager that I had a problem with was fired shortly after the vote. If the company had come
out and said we are making changes to management I most likely would have voted NO. I have a great manager
now and I have to pay a union FEE and there is no reason.
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