> sorry, it's 5:01 and the contract prohibits me from turning that screw, I'll be back Monday morning to do that for you
Honest question. If you're paid hourly and have job security, what's wrong with saying that? Pros don't work for free, right?
Honest question. If you're paid hourly and have job security, what's wrong with saying that? Pros don't work for free, right?
Other comments have already explored how America has a "union monopoly" system for lack of a better term: where unions exist, the labor pool that is non-union is often extinguished.
> what's wrong with saying that?
If the alleged screw is flooding your home and you're on the phone with a contractor who says "it'll be Monday morning", it's safe to assume that the contractor feels safe because there's no competition out there that will come out to finish the job due to the union monopoly or other rules/regulations that the unions have established to make them the only turn screwers.
Unions in the United States gained a bad rap from things like this, and I think that's what the OP's intent was with their comment.
Free market would dictate you say back: "double pay" or hire another contractor.
Overtime pay is a thing everywhere including union jobs.
I'm based in Europe and i get overtime pay if I'm forced to work late/weekends. One of the nice things of unions everywhere.
If i dont want to or cant work late, there are colleagues that will jump at 150% pay rate.
Companies can hire contractors at any point but these expect much higher wages to deal with the almost no protections and doing their own taxes.
Otherwise employer could hire a second shift as they do with manufacturing and pay normal wage there.
There is no such thing as union certificate or things of the sort. Union is there just to negotiate basic contract applied company wide and make sure you are not abused.
Working in software.
And even if they did, if it only takes 30 seconds and no extra effort... why can't the person asking do it or get someone else?
Also, if you need to leave on the hour to make other commitments why should boss be able to force you to stay without compensation? (bus schedule, pick up children and spend time with them, pick up spouse, go to concerts, meet friends etc)
Taking it to the extreme is what you already see in shops and warehouses, etc, where they need to stay, unpaid, for a couple of hours to secure things and clean up...
From what I've heard of US unions (never been in one myself) they're quite strict about not allowing this kind of thing. Certain tasks can only be performed by particular union employees. I suppose they consider it a slippery slope. But again, it's also possible that in the story we're discussing the union member just didn't like this person enough to do them a favor.
Union members get "ratted out" by others if they go "above and beyond". There is no flexibility.
That's fair. The "I only sweep floors, if you want mopping it's another department" type of union inflexibility is terrible for productivity. But I think your scenario is an example of inflexibility that's completely warranted.
The next day I was in his office when we got a nice visit from the Teamsters steward flanked literally by two huge guys glaring at us. The steward told us not to do it again. He did back off when we told him we walked the computers between the buildings - if we would have drove them between buildings he said they would have filed a union grievance.