What unions have you belonged to?

[soothsayer]

I've been a United Mine Worker, a Teamster, and an American Postal Worker, and have consulted to the IAM (but never got to join). Not currently a member of anything, but happy Labor Day to all!

[PsN2Wind]

1. I've belonged to

Laborers, Roofers, Railroad Maintenance of Way and Meat-cutters unions.

[soothsayer]

13. Meat cutters! Cool. Whadja' do?

[PsN2Wind]

22. Worked for a summer at Oscar Meyers

in Chicago. Workers were represented by The Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workers Union. I ran a machine slicing bacon.

[vireo]

56. We used their offices in Madison for the Kerry campaign

Cool digs, replete with vintage furnishings!

[billyoc]

2. Ironworkers, Transport Workers.

Am currently an NYC Central Labor Council delegate for the TWU, but working with the IW
building highrises in Manhattan. :hi:

[Subdivisions]

3. I'm a member of Sheet Metal Workers'

International Association. Happy labor day to all my union brothers and sisters.

[Subdivisions]

60. I had to come back to this thread to tell you guys this:

I am about to start a new career but I want to stay connected with SMWIA. So, I wanted to take a withdrawal, which would mean that if I ever wanted to, I could get back in for a buck. Anyways, I tried to call the hall on Thursday to find out if I had to pay all my dues up current before taking a withdrawal and, because I've never done it before, wanted to address it with the secretary. But all day there was a busy signal. So I shrugged it off and waited until Friday. Friday the phone rang but no one answered. Now it's just weird. So, since I wasn't able to find out what I needed to know, all I had left to do was get to the hall and slide my dues payment through the overnight drop so it wouldn't be late and I wouldn't get suspended.

Imagine my great surprise to find the reason the phones were busy or not being asnwered. The hall had been gutted by fire! I had no idea and now I face possible suspension because there was nowhere to leave my dues check nor was there any kind of directions on what to do posted at what was left of the hall. All I can do now is put it in the mail and hope for the best.

[aquart]

4. DC 37

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. SEIU and UFCW.

Currently UFCW. MKJ

[cosmik debris]

6. AFGE and Retail Clerks Union

I don't think the Retail Clerks Union exists anymore.(I was a member in 1966) It has probably been absorbed by SEIU. But The American Federation of Government Employees is alive and well.

UNION YES!

[Virginia Dare]

16. Retail Clerks now a division of UFCW IIRC...n/t

[NoQuarter]

7. AFM #325

[Cirque du So-What]

8. USWA for 18 years

during which time I served on safety committees, as a steward, on a negotiating committee, as a delegate to the Central Labor Council, and as an organizer.

Happy Labor Day to all my brothers and sisters!

[EFerrari]

9. CWA. And man, were you guys MEAN to us "O" operators.

:)

[pscot]

10. Teamster and National Assn of Letter Carriers

I got good value from both. Stick to the Union. It's the best hope for working people.

[FreakinDJ]

11. IBEW

[JackintheGreen]

12. SEIU and Teamsters

I'm currently working to unionize the grad students at Penn with AFT.

[ThomWV]

14. Teamster - 1966 - Present

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. American Association of University Professors

Not exactly blue collar, but it does stand up for academics who are treated unfairly.

[Virginia Dare]

17. HERE, and now UNITEHERE...n/t

[yorkiemommie1]

18. CSEA

n/t

[TheDebbieDee]

19. National Treasury Employees Union........

when I worked for the IRS from 1992 - 1996.

[DaveinMD]

20. Never belonged

but have worked for the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers.

[LiberalEsto]

21. Newspaper Guild

Ny-NJ chapter

[MissMarple]

23. AFT n/t

[americanstranger]

24. Warehouse workers, AF of M Local 802!!

Still got my membership to 802, even though I don't do much work in studios any more.

- as

[Karenina]

44. 802 & 47

[NYC]

25. Newspaper Guild.

No longer.

[Liberal In Texas]

26. AFTRA/SAG

Met Ed Asner during this time when I was a steward.
Management tried to keep him out of the building, until somebody pointed out it was against the law. So he came in and talked to us grunts.

[Nay]

27. Me--Nat Assoc of Letter Carriers, and Sonny Nay belongs to the

IBEW--International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He's an electrician.

We went on a picnic today, as they did in the old days, and talked about what Labor Day meant.

[frebrd]

28. Amalgamated Transit Union #1555

[knight_of_the_star]

29. UFCW

Was there for the big SoCal grocery strike in '03.

[bpeale]

30. proud member of AFSCME 2393

[Ghost in the Machine]

31. I did apprenticeship with Local 725 Pipefitters, Steamfitters, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

out of Miami, Fla. I dropped out though, never made Journeyman. My father is a 55 year member, as was my uncle, and my grandfather was a Founder & Charter Member of LU 725

[Delphinus]

32. OPEIU

Office & Professional Employees International Union

[Jack Bone]

33. I am a member of UAW local 685

[Itchinjim]

34. Teamsters, UFCW...

currently UFCW.

[blockhead]

35. BAC

[Phrogman]

36. As a seaman, National Maritime Union, Marine Firemans Union and

Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA)

Union for life!

[cloudbase]

61. MEBA here, too!

Retired and happy these days.

[pnorman]

66. I too sailed MEBA, although I'm now retired.

Bro. Phrogman, feel free to PM me. We may have sailed together in the past. When unlicensed, I sailed SUP and then later NMU.

Here's another good Labor Day thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1725126

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

pnorman

[Blue_Tires]

37. merge maybe?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1723845

[soothsayer]

58. shoot, missed it! sorry

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

38. K & R, how is this not on the greatest page on Labor Day?

:kick: MKJ

[NNN0LHI]

47. Already one there

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1723845&mesg_id=1723845

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

50. TYVM!

:toast: MKJ

[kevinmc]

39. UE- United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America

Was a Proud Member for 21 years.

http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/

[pnorman]

67. I've always held UE in the highest regard, and have followed it as well as I could.

I'm on their mailing list too. I was particularly interested in that disgraceful period when UE was expelled from the CIO, and then raided shamelessly by CIO and AFL unions. As you may know, Father Rice of ACTU (American Catholic Trade Unions) did much to try to destroy UE in favor of the newly created IUE. In the book "THE PRICE OF DISSENT", Father Rice (later Msgr.) had severe Buyers Remorse, and deeply regretted much of his actions.! He was quoted with: "The Communists did run democratic unions in the old days. Their unions were the most democratic." (p. 83) Not too many years later, he became a staunch opponent of the war in Viet Nam.

By political outlook, I have a pretty low regard for the CPUSA, particularly how it distorted the left & labor movements. But the members as well as some of the officials fought heart and soul for the Good Fight! Many sacrificed their careers; some their lives.

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

pnorman
PS: Here's another Labor Day thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1725126
On edit: My first union was Sailors Union of the Pacific (1946), and then much later, National Maritime Union. In 1964 I began sailing Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and retired in 2000.

[kevinmc]

73. They are a True Rank and File Union.

And Nobody is going to get Rich working for or Running it. The President is paid what Workers get paid not what a CEO makes.

[pnorman]

80. The Sailors Union Of The Pacific had a very strong syndicalist tradition.

The President's salary is 'pegged' a nominal amount above the wages of the highest paid boatswain. All the other officials are paid accordingly. A certain type of member would be discouraged from running for office. But that's like winnowing out the chaff.

Here's a UE film I recently spotted here on DU. You may be familiar with it:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1C2W6
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bMLzyUQW-g

Fraternally, pnorman

[lumberjack_jeff]

40. UFCW in my youth. n/t

[mountainvue]

41. AFL-CIO, HERE. Grandfather and brother were/are

Teamsters.

[blues90]

42. I belonged to the teamsters when I was an auto machanic in ILL .

It was part of the same union and I worked for the post office which I don't know if this was union at the time 1969 .

We went on strike in 1972 at a ford dealer i warked at and the teamsters were just off their stike so there was no money left for us except $25 per week . I took another ford job that had the same benefits as a union shop and followed the same rules .

I moved to florida and then calif , no unions either place but I wish there were , We had to work whatever hours they decided and it has become alot worse . whne it was union we got paid a bas e salery after 40 booked hours on commission and half the shop rate after that .

Even if there was no work you at least got the salery and could live off it . Not in florida of southern calif you get nothing except more hours and some odd cheap way of not paying overtime even though they wanted the work done .

[uppityperson]

43. I don't remember which, teachers and nurses back in mid-80's

Only time I worked somewhere that had union.

[NastyRiffraff]

45. CWA/Newspaper Guild

Have you hugged a union member today?

[Critters2]

46. UNITE

It was UNITE when I belonged to it. Now, it's UNITE HERE. Proud direct descendant of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, born from the ashes of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire.

[War Pigs]

48. how about Bakers, Confectionery and Tobacco twice (Ohio

and Cal.), Teamsters, United Chemical Workers, Operating Engineers, and UAW since '92?? Does that make me the Champ or what? Couldn't imagine doing it any other way. Oh yea, 6 years USN (active) pretty much the opposite of civil rights and unionism.:toast:

[BrotherBuzz]

49. I was a Teamster pearl diver in my college days

I worked for a county hospital washing pots and pans. Great wages and benefits. I respect unions, and desire to see them regain their clout again in my lifetime.

[GreenInNC]

51. IATSE Local 46

[warren pease]

52. Teamsters Local 287, San Jose CA -- 1976 - 1981 n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. NEA and AFT (teachers)

and I had to join the Hardware Workers Union for a summer job when I was in college.

[B Calm]

54. UAW lost job due to automation. AFLCIO lost job during the Raygun era.

[Cats Against Frist]

55. COGS and UFCW

Consecutively -- went from effete graduate student to working in a bistro in a grocery store.

[GreenEyedLefty]

57. UFCW only...

but I have a college education and cavity-free teeth courtesy of the collective bargaining power of the UAW (my dad was a member).:D

[Canuckistanian]

59. UBC and CEP (Canada)

[flyarm]

62. APFA, SAG, AFTRA ,,,NOW RETIRED

retired ..former member of :

APFA Association of Professional Flight Attendants

SAG Screen Actors Guild

AFTRA American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

fly

[BlooInBloo]

63. Never been in one. Always supported them though.

[madrchsod]

64. iam-steelworkers

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

65. I wish you had posted this in the Lounge

Then I could post "What base are you belong to?"

[TahitiNut]

68. UAW and IUF

Solidarity!

[SidDithers]

69. Canadian Auto Workers...

and UFCW Canada.

Sid

[iverglas]

81. how long ago?

Didya know Jim Ashton?

Heh, you're Canadian, you must have known Jim. ;) But no, seriously, he was president of the London and District Labour Council, came out of the CAW. Old friend, shared digs in the very old days with him and 16 other people and his pet raccoon and the stereo system he spent his student loan on, back when he had hair to his bum and union members on the railway threw lipstick at him from the caboose. Gone some years now, of course; first of the old gang to die.

Me, I only ever belonged to PIPS for a few months. Professional Institute of the Public Service. Nobody particularly noticed when members of my component threatened to strike when we couldn't get a new contract ... until they discovered that they couldn't hold a federal-provincial conference without us, had to cancel it when our members walked out, and went back to the bargaining table.

[SidDithers]

84. No, never knew Jim...

:)

This was in Mississauga, I worked at Chrysler for a few years at the end of University, maybe 20 years ago.

My wife was part of CUPE for 15 years. That was as close to "Public" as I ever came. :hi:

Sid

[Jesse Hemingway]

70. teamsters local 36 with and FYI

I drove then took a management job supervised 35 teamsters the employees that were all teamsters would listen to the CHT bag on the radio. Then at least 30 of them voted republican I could not take it and i took another job. I still see them regularly and it can get heated out there because I make fun of their president and they still do not get it.

[ProudDad]

71. AFM and IWW

The One Big Union www.iww.org

And I'll play the blues for you www.local1000.org

[Vidar]

72. NEA & UAW.

[LeftishBrit]

74. The British union for university teachers

Formerly AUT; now UCU. A bit useless on many issues, but better than no union at all.

[POAS]

75. IAM and UAW

[Ganja Ninja]

76. UAW & Sheetmetal Workers International Association. n/t

[spanone]

77. AFM

[shadowknows69]

78. Nabet/CWA

[tool_of_the_people]

79. SWA - Local 65

[guitar man]

82. AFM

and GCIU

[northzax]

83. AFT and NEA (nt)

[porphyrian]

85. I was married. That's about the best it gets in the "right to work" South. - n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

86. The Washington Education Association.

And I had a brief stint in Lumber and Sawmill Workers before heading off to college.

I'm proud to say my Old Man was for awhile an agitator for the Wobblies.