Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: Kestas
I mentioned this in another thread. I have three engineering degrees (two masters) from Big Ten schools that represents eight years of education and lost wages. I work in the auto industry. My girlfriend is a UAW member clerk in a warehouse for one of the automakers. Last year she made more money than I did. She put in a good amount of overtime... but so did I - unpaid!
My job has more responsibilities than her job. I have 28 years experience working in my field helping design engineers and manufacturing plants with their problems. She's been in her job about 10 years stacking boxes and tracking inventory. Something is wrong with this structure of compensation. Either the UAW workers are paid too much for what they are doing or I am paid too little.
It's been mentioned many times among my colleagues over the decades about this disparity and "why should anybody bother with a college education" when they can become a UAW member and make the same wages. Back in the 70s, it was even considered 'uncool' by some to get an education, which only added to this spite.
Sounds like you need to join a union!
I actually don't see why engineers don't, if actors and writers do in the entertainment industry, why not you guys?
This seems to be the attitude of the union proponents, if everybody unionized then all would be smiles and lollypops. The fact of the matter is if you look at a snapshot in time Real GDP (or the size of the pie) is frozen as time is frozen. When unions coerce a larger piece of the pie it has to come out of someone elses mouth.
Yes the UAW has raised the standard of living for their members. What they have done was take the pie out of the mouth of anybody has bought a new car in the last 40 years because they overpaid for the car.
I dislike unions because it creates arbitrary haves and have nots based on membership. Unionize everyone to remove the disparity and you get a command economy which can only be worse off than a absolute free market economy.