Fish, Grand Lake (5/15/2008 5:35:50 AM)

In the past it was against the law for a public employee to belong to a union. Then is was easy for the taxpayers to deal with public employees. After all, public employees are paid by the taxpayers. Thanks to large donations to the Democrats by the unions we, as taxpayers, now have to deal with the unions instead of the employees of the taxpayers.

Alden, Tulsa (5/15/2008 6:54:48 AM)

The City of Tulsa has made the employees work terrible hours without enough coffee breaks, and they are forced to meet quotas no human can endure, Not to mention the desk chairs without enough padding. Maybe the new chief of staff will earn her pay, squabbling with self important labor bullys about the soap in the restrooms.
First on the list to do is to pass an ordinance for a $500 fine for anyone uttering the word 'malingering', with union officials exempt. Of course.

Bob, Owasso (5/15/2008 6:59:56 AM)

By 'deal with' if you mean bully, intimidate, or pull the 'i have connections card' to get your way - you may be right cuz with a union backing them we may all get treated the same.

E T, tulsa (5/15/2008 7:46:49 AM)

Unions suck. they protect people who are lazy and won't work forcing people who do the work to work harder. you pay union dues forcibly. you are subject to layoffs and strikes where you lose more money than you get out of it. the union officials don't care about the workers and the officials only care about themselves and how much money they can get out of it. I can say this because I use to work for a union shop and left because the union sucked.

Bob 1, (5/15/2008 8:11:21 AM)

Let me be the first to say it, now it will take 3 people to hold a shovel up instead of 2.

Lisa B., Tulsa (5/15/2008 8:19:47 AM)

Now maybe the office and administrative employees will get paid enough they no longer have to receive daycare assistance, foodstamps or have their rent subsidized. The elitists in the Mayor's Office don't have those worries.

Big M, Tulsa (5/15/2008 8:45:24 AM)

E.T. I am sorry that you had a bad expierience with a union but not all unions are as you describe. For one you are not forced to pay dues. In the union I belong to the officials actually make less than they did working in thier regular jobs but they chose to work as a union official because of thier dedication to the union.

I wish all the workers of this new unit the best of luck in negotiations.
Solidarity Brothers and Sisters.
Big M
IBEW

b, ba (5/15/2008 9:18:41 AM)

#4, right on, #7, you are a dreamer, if you elect not to pay dues the union people make your life miserable. Factories do not mind paying union wages, but they leave the country because of the lazy attitude of the union people. Do as little as possible and protect the s__tbirds. The union is way out of step in todays market. Every US car you buy about 3k goes to job bank employees - these are people who do nothing day in and day out. The proud union label left the building a long time ago. Send that money up north!

b, ba (5/15/2008 9:20:38 AM)

#4, right on, #7, you are a dreamer, if you elect not to pay dues the union people make your life miserable. Factories do not mind paying union wages, but they leave the country because of the lazy attitude of the union people. Do as little as possible and protect the s__tbirds. The union is way out of step in todays market. Every US car you buy about 3k goes to job bank employees - these are people who do nothing day in and day out. The proud union label left the building a long time ago. Send that money up north!

Joe , Tulsa (5/15/2008 10:41:50 AM)

Workers of the world, UNITE! Throw off the shackles of the bourgoisie! At least under National Socialism--that means Nazis, people--the "socialist workers" worked, which is more than can be said for a goodly number of Tulsa city employees.

Alden, Tulsa (5/15/2008 12:26:51 PM)

Of course with the caving in by management, the unions have destroyed our competitive posisition in auto manufacturing. Ridiculous hourly salaries, benefits, and interference in the work place. Ford and GM have more unfunded debt due to the unions than they can ever pay.
Unions constantly slam big, bad management, while forgetting who created the jobs in the first place, big, bad management.

michael , tulsa (5/16/2008 9:13:59 AM)

what is yellow, has four tires & holds up 6...a city vehicle!
this union is just another reason for city employees NOT to work!
i worked for the city some years ago & am appalled at the laziness that is accepted at management levels....
there is no penalty for shoddy, lazy work & the union will exacerbate the problem. unions are just organized crime that does nobody any good.
I have known several friends that were members of unions & they have told me that you can steal & fail drug tests & still keep your job......the only thing that unions do is steal from the employer & keep bad employees working as long as they pay their union dues!

okie magic, Stillwater (5/18/2008 2:44:49 PM)

Why wouldn't workers want to join a union? Better pay, benefits and working conditions....what's wrong with that? Maybe we should all work for 7 or 8 bucks an hour and no benefits.

When I worked for WorldCom in Tulsa, the management there ridiculed SWBell, Verizon and PacBell because their workers were unionized. I don't remember any of these telecoms laying off thousands and then declaring bankruptcy.