My dad worked for Yellow on the loading docks from the day he returned from Vietnam to the late-90s. He earned a good wage for a guy who only graduated high school; provided a solid middle-class life for his family. And it was all because of the union. The Teamsters was like religion to my dad.
I always respected the union for what it provided for my dad and his family. I can't stress that enough. However, I can't forget the stories he would tell about new guys who got beat up because they did too much work (made the veteran guys look bad) or didn't follow the unwritten rules (drivers used to carry cash to bribe the dock workers to unload their trucks. without the bribes your truck would just sit there, untouched. however, sometimes a rookie would unload a truck that hadn't made a payment, and that earned him a beatdown). And the stories about pallets that would go missing and end up in my house. One year, for Christmas, everyone got brand new color TVs (a big deal back then); they were all the exact same make/model. My dad must've given away a dozen of them to friends/family. This happened all the time. So yeah, while I respect the union and what it provided, I have a difficult time overlooking the corruption and inefficiencies.
I always respected the union for what it provided for my dad and his family. I can't stress that enough. However, I can't forget the stories he would tell about new guys who got beat up because they did too much work (made the veteran guys look bad) or didn't follow the unwritten rules (drivers used to carry cash to bribe the dock workers to unload their trucks. without the bribes your truck would just sit there, untouched. however, sometimes a rookie would unload a truck that hadn't made a payment, and that earned him a beatdown). And the stories about pallets that would go missing and end up in my house. One year, for Christmas, everyone got brand new color TVs (a big deal back then); they were all the exact same make/model. My dad must've given away a dozen of them to friends/family. This happened all the time. So yeah, while I respect the union and what it provided, I have a difficult time overlooking the corruption and inefficiencies.