3.14.14 after 10.30am

I got involved in a discussion on a friend's wall on fb about unions!My experience with unions was not good!In 1988 I tried to change the pay scale in glazers and glassworkers local 1044!It was at a time when the autoglass industry took on a big change!It was when a windshield became part of the structural integrity of the automobile!It got very sophisticated and difficult to install a windshield to all the specifications you must now by law !Also it was a time when there was no deductible on glass and I could do a windshield in under 30 minuets!You could bill out a windshield for 3 hrs labor and list price for the glass!In 1988 we at Settles glass were up for a contract renewal!At that time the auto glass guys were carrying the componey!I believed we should be paid accordingly!I tried to convince the union of this and got NOWHERE!The owner of Settles glass had a meeting with a few of us and promised us the same pay as a union guy without the union dues if we came back to work!I had just bought my house in Squantum and had three small kids seemed like a no brainer to me so I crossed the line and went back to work!I had the members walk a picket line in front of my house in Squantum!I stood strong though cause this is America and I've got the right to choose!The industry started to decline when the 90's hit and the company did everything the union said it would, cutting pay and benefits so I thought it was time to move on!Thats when in 1993  I started with Giant glass!The owner is a great guy who paid his guys based on what they could do!The best move I ever could have made!