Myth- It's too dangerous to talk about unions right now. Shhh!

 “Dude!, you can’t talk union now! All the guys they just RIF’d were guys that were vocal about unionizing.”    — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this in the last week.  People are scared shitless- just like the company wants us.   But this is EXACTLY the time we need to talk union.  Why?  Because they’ve already cut people.  Ask yourself this- they think we’re overpaid and unnecessary-  they can run this place with contract operators and off the shelf’ mechanics and electricians.  They said that.  But if that was truly the case right now then why didn’t they get rid of all of us?  There is a very simple and obvious reason-  THEY CANT.  They need our experience and expertise until they back fill with cheaper, less experienced (and therefore inherently more dangerous) replacements.  If they COULD have cut deeper, if they could have RIF’d us all they WOULD have- they have told you to your face that you are overpaid.  

The ONLY reason they didn’t immediately cut your pay to ‘mid range of the market’ is because they can’t lose our experience yet.  THIS IS THE SAFEST TIME TO UNIONIZE, THEY NEED US RIGHT NOW.  5 years from now will be too late,  at least ½ of our workforce will be replaced by ‘contingent workers’ who won’t be able to unionize (they won’t be employees) but in those 5 years those contingent employees  will have gained enough experience to limp this place along if company employees try to unionize. This is not the case right now. 

Right now, this place can not operate without YOU!  Right now, you are the safest you’re going to be from this point forward, don’t waste this opportunity.