Our meat unions sold us out when Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, merge with the Retail Clerks International Union. before they merge we had a apprentice Butchers or Meat Cutters program, a company would signed an agreement with the Joint Apprenticeship Committee. Then approximately 4,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training was required during a two-year apprenticeship. Apprentices also had to take a minimum of 144 hours each year of related classroom training.
Before the merger Amalgamated with a half a million union members was one of the most powerful and progressive worker organizations seen in the history of the labor movement. with the Retail Clerks International Union all that went down the drain. the only thing the Retail Clerks International Union is interested in is taking your money.
It feels that way. I was talking with an old timer recently, and he said that was the biggest mistake cutters made. I feel like UFCW will sell us down the river to keep the rest of the workers complacent. In our bargaining unit we have 800 members and about 40 cutters. They dont care about us if theyre gettin their paycheck.
I feel a little differently. My first union card was issued me by the Amalgamated Meatcutters and Butcher Workmen of North America and Canada, AFL-CIO.
Meatcutting is certainly not the job it was when I got in in 1969. HOWEVER, I'm a realist and I see two developments. The companies we work for are just trying to survive in an environment that has come to be dominated by non union operators like BJ's, Walmart, COSTCO, etc..
The other development is that if a union does not give some concessions to the companies, in these conditions, well all the jobs would be gone, given this environment. That's just the facts. The real blame belongs on those who want to shop at the non union shops to save a few bucks. It's even worse when those people are union members. I remember sacrificing many a day off to picket BJs when they came into our market area. I was VERY disapointed to see MY OWN CO-WORKERS coming to shop at BJ's which I was picketing! When I confronted them, and asked them where their loyalty was, I invariably heard, "well the company is not loyal to me!"
To that I had to answer, "It's not about being loyal to the "company", it's about being loyal to your PAYCHECK!"
Too many Americans are very short sighted. That said, without exaggeration, I can say that EVERY president of my local during my 28 year career ended up in federal prison for corrruption. Every one of them. It aint a perfect world.
Jim, you were picketing a BJ'S and your own co-workers went to shop there??
sadly, I can believe that.
I never worked in a Union, Ive worked with many who had
the last union store in maine was an A&P about 15 years ago (it closed) the new owners wanted to "let go" many of the long time employees there , including the meatcutter, because the payscales. I fought hard to convince him-this would be suicide for the store-(to let them go)these store employees worked there on ave over 25 yrs,,, they live nearby and have family nearby.
danny the meatcutter had 35 yrs in with A&P, he couldnt wait to show me his watch, he got for 35 yrs of service...
