Union Organization

Tonight I attended a meeting for organizations that strive to remain union-free. The discussion was about the Employee Free Trade Act (EFCA) and the affect that it would have on their companies if it is passed.

It was strange being there. As a Democrat among Republicans, I am an outsider. As a Democrat raised in a union household, I felt like an intruder. I have seen the positives and negatives of the union on workers. My father was a steamfitter and the economy was always reflected in our household: when things were good he worked and when things were not so good he was home driving us crazy. My mother was a registered nurse who always worked. I only remember her striking once where she actually held a picket and walked a line. What I DO remember is an incident that happened quite a few years ago. A mother, whose baby had not been released to her care because drugs were found in the baby's system, came to visit her baby. The baby was still on the labor and delivery floor (most likely due to overcrowding) and my mother was the one who made sure the woman was situated in a room with a bottle to feed the baby. My mother then excused herself to tend to her many other patients. When my mother came out of one of the patient's rooms, she saw the woman walking briskly to the door and thought that it was strange that she was leaving so early. My mother quickly went into the room and saw that the baby was missing. She was unable to catch the woman before she got on the elevator and ran to call security at the main entrance. The extension for security was incorrect and the call did not reach them in time. The woman had abducted her baby. The hospital's immediate response was to put my mother on disciplinary leave as part of the damage control. The union immediately stepped in and supported my mother, pointing out that she followed protocol, was over-extended with the number of patients for whom she was responsible, and she had acted quickly when the situation unfolded. Her union was able to to successfully overturn the negative actions the hospital had taken. Needless to say that the situation was the last straw for my mother and she retired soon after. And, oh, the woman's mother returned the baby to the hospital.

So, I understand why the companies in attendance tonight are wary about the affects a union will have on their shops and I empathize. I also have seen the other side of the story.

Which reminds me: I have to pay Daddy's steamfitter union dues tonight.