When I came home from the United States Navy in the late 60s I was very qualified for jobs in the telecommunication or maritime industries. In both cases I was not allowed to join the unions. Jobs were for exclusively for next of kin. I felt betrayed as a vet and have never forgiven the unions. I was treated better by the anti-war dope smoking maggot invested hippies than the unions.
Have seen the same thing all through the rust belt. If you talk to most union workers long enough you always find out that there kids have all migrated away from where they grew up so they could have a career. It nevers seems to cross these idiots minds that if they weren’t so greedy (read union contracts and higher taxes to feed the unions) their children probably could find quality jobs in their hometown.
I really hate painting people with the same brush. One can hardly fault people for getting as much or more as they are worth.
Except that union wages and their ramifications are not subject to free market pressures to get wages for what a product is worth.
If a football player wants to make a certain amount of money, they can ask for it at free agency, and if they are worth it, some team will sign them, knowing that their fans may well pay extra ticket prices to see the athelete, or whatever.
Unions are impervious to these pressures. The first indication that free markets will not support their extortionist practices is when the company goes under.
The union organizers just pick up and leave town. Funny how their jobs always seem to find a way to survive.
Sorry about your experience - I am assuming you are referring to the trade unions primarily - for all I know they may still be like that. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the union jobs in the auto companies were the same at that time though.
I trust (hope) that you have done ok since then. Sometimes we have to bounce around a bit before landing something decent.
I got out of the Marines in '78. After about 4 years of low-paying electronic service jobs I finally got a break.
I was (and still am) an amateur radio operator and at a club I was a member of one of the older guys told me about an fellow HAM who was a supervisor at Chrysler HQ and was starting up a department to do testing. I put in a resume to Chrysler.
Afeter about 18 months I got interviewed and because I had a Technician Class amateur radio license and a First Class Commercial Radiotelephone license (with Radar endorsement) I got hired in.
So I had a lucky break.
I can only say that the UAW has lost a lot of power, and most of the people I know understand this completely.
“Jobs were for exclusively for next of kin. I felt betrayed as a vet and have never forgiven the unions. I was treated better by the anti-war dope smoking maggot invested hippies than the unions.”
Longshoremens are the worst.