Leonard Woodcock, president of the UAW for most of the 1970s, once said, “Our members have the best contract that people with their skills and education could ever hope to get. But we've convinced them that with every new contract, they're entitled to more.” That attitude, out of date by a generation, still prevails among labor leadership.
pretty good read: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/05/18/motor-city-gm-lessons-verizon-strikers-cwa-steve-forbes-column/84494650/
They are many jobs where you don't get a raise every year...you either accept it because it "pays" in other ways or you move on...we all have choices. That quote does put things into perspective a bit, though, where union folk seem to feel that they are entitled to more...just not how it works.
I dont know OP, every year that you are in the same job don't you deserve a little more ? I dont think it matters if you are in mgmt or craft. The only difference is that a mgmt associate creates their own little contract with your management so to speak every year; craft do it collectively as a group over a longer term. Productivity of workers everywhere increases substantially every year; increased wages and terms are not following along with that increased productivity like they have in the past and that IS a problem for this nation. The argument that copper lines is decreasing is a poor argument; they should be using these workers to build and install more FIOS, and broadband (whether its wired or wireless shouldnt matter). It's terrible how these executives attach the union to copper and POTS but distance themselves from those areas in conversations. The buck stops at the top, and you cant claim your are the CEO of the company but not necessarily all of its areas.
never said it was a new article...
This article has been posted 100 times......