begin  quoting Mike Marion as of Wed, Jul 13, 2005 at 03:07:33PM -0700:
> Quoting Andrew Lentvorski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> 
> >So, what, pray tell, are the below average *supposed* to do for a
> >living?  50% of people are *below average*.  Are we simply supposed to
> >write them off?  Why don't we execute them instead so that they quit
> >dragging down the economy?  Yes, I'm being intentionally sarcastic, but
> >you can't just dismiss 50% of the population.
> >
> >Being average or mediocre is not a crime, people.  Sheesh.
> 
> Noone's saying it is.  But I don't think the answer is to punish those that 
> do work hard in order to protect the slackers either.. level of
> intelligence aside.  I've known some smart people in my union job that
> slacked with the best of them.

I think we have the culture of victimization at play here. How are
they being punished?

"You! You're too smart. We're docking your pay!"

Unions _do_ come at a cost.  The thing to think about is not what that
cost is, but what was it that made that cost acceptable to those who
first chose to unionize.

> >Besides, why is it the *union's* job to reward good work?  Why don't the
> >*companies* have incentives to reward good work.  The carrot normally
> >works *better* than the stick.
> 
> Because the union tends to get a contract in place that specifically spells
> out how any pay increases and bonuses can be given out, so that the company
> cannot give out any incentives to encourage hard work.  That's how it was at

What, performance bonuses are given out on the basis of seniority?  I
was under the impression that bonuses are separate from salary and
managed under a different set of rules.

> the Zoo when I was there.  I wouldn't have a problem with the union if I
> could still work there, non-union, and work for my own pay
> increases/incentives.
 
What if the Zoo gave you a pay-cut instead?  Do you say "Give me a pay 
increase, or else!"?

(In some jobs, the slow-and-slightly-stupid worker is more valuable than
the smart-and-motivated worker.)

[snip]
> True, there are cases of companies doing bad things.  IME, and what I saw
> happen to my father over the years.. the union rarely ends up helping the
> employees that much, usually making some compromise that makes you wonder if
> they were paid off or not.

Often my suspicion. :-/

But that's not a problem with the idea of a union, only the implementation.

-Stewart "Perhaps if an employer didn't know if you were in a union..." Stremler

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