First, I live in a building that was built for Union members for Union members of the
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Because of the history, the union members that work here SEIU Local 32BJ are hard working people. We do have some that aren't and because we know and understand how to deal with union procedures and politics, we can get people reassigned and fired with little difficulty.
Another benefit is that when the rest of the doormen, porters, mantenance workers strike in NYC, our workers do not. We have an understanding agreement that we will honor whatever is agreed upon at a later date. This means we do not bargain directly with the Union but accept whatever contract is negotiated at the end of the strike. This is a very nice convenience.
There are good unions, there are bad unions, just like there are bad members and good members. I have worked in buildings where nothing moved without 3 union members working together for a 1 person job. I have worked in buildings where the union members were the slowest of slowest workers. I have worked in buildings where the union members were good hard working people just not cost effective so in order to stay competitive we'd have to bid out to non-union members.
But what gets me is really the policies and procedures to get things done. In NYC it is near impossible to fire a teacher. The union is very strong. A couple founding members live in our buildings and I speak to them from time to time. They are very proud of the work that they have completed, and when I speak to them logically about something like below they do understand that it is a bit out of control for some situations.
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The regulations are so onerous that principals rarely even try to fire a teacher. Most just put the bad ones in pretend-work jobs, or sucker another school into taking them. (They call that the "dance of the lemons.") The city payrolls include hundreds of teachers who have been deemed incompetent, violent, or guilty of sexual misconduct. Since the schools are afraid to let them teach, they put them in so-called "rubber rooms" instead. There they read magazines, play cards, and chat, at a cost to New York taxpayers of $20 million a year.
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Stupid in America the 20/20 segment by John Stossel highlights this as well. You can watch highlights here:
Stupid in America
How To Fire A Teacher in NYC
click to show
If you'd like a cute cartoon version:
How to Fire an Incompetent Teacher
An illustrated guide to New York's public school bureaucracy
howtofireanincompetentteacher.pdf
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