Unionization

As we are too well aware, this recession has been tough on almost every one, except the fat cats on Wall Street that make money with our money. Am I making a statement here? I guess I am. I marvel at the injustice of a guy sitting at a computer seeing how many times he can move other people's money, to generate commissions for himself, while a hard working responsible technician is out in the cold doing a necessary repair so that operations can continue. And this technician is ultimately responsible for the airworthiness of the aircraft, and the safety and lives of its crew and passengers. It's not fair, but as we all know, life's not fair. So where am I going with this? Previously I have written several blogs and editorials promoting the idea of a viable association that can represent the interests of aircraft technicians in the U.S. Well, I got to thinking, is unionization a possible answer? With all the hubbub in Wisconsin recently concerning union grievances and collective bargaining rights, I think it is a worthy subject, but for just a couple of paragraphs. I am not a union man, never have been, and I think most technicians prefer not to unionize. But lets for a moment look at the possibility. In order for a union to work, it needs a sizable number of dissatisfied employees. Most aircraft technicians I talk to love their work. That's the primary motive for entering the profession. What is lacking is recognition and commensurate pay. Unions also need employees who want to stay in their current job, despite the fact that the employee may view the job negatively. A union is dependent on those that want to stay put. This may be true for those more senior in the profession, but generation Y has no problem moving. So a union would probably not be appealing to young techs. One current tactic, used in support of unionization is the establishment of a more relaxed climate for union organization. The courts recently ruled a company's employee vote for unionization need only be a simple majority of those who vote, and not of the total number of employees affected by the union. This makes it considerably easier to create a union shop and the result could mean many employees will have no choice but to belong to the union. Additionally, under current politics, the NLRB is driven to make decisions that make it easier for unions to coerce and persuade employees. There are other more subtle and less subtle efforts to breathe new life into unions. Despite all of this, union memberships are decreasing. The bottom line is that unless there are drastic changes in the workplace, unions have seen their day pass. If you are thinking that unionization would be good, let me suggest you first start by getting more involved with your trade at a professional level. Join a local, regional, or national association. Continue your education. Train more often in your business, especially in avionics, composites, and computer and human sciences. If you do, you will most likely find you will not need a union to enhance your career.