A former non-union elevator mechanic talks differences of union work

[Omaha Steve]

https://www.laborpress.org/a-former-non-union-elevator-mechanic-talks-differences-of-union-work/

February 23, 2024
Max Parrott
LaborPress

It took Anthony Charbonier years of building construction elevators on unsafe jobs before he got a shot at joining a union. Now with a stable job as a school maintenance worker with the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local One, Charbonier has perspective on how much his working conditions improved as a union member.

Charbonier experienced many of the most notorious problems in the non-union construction trades. He worked on a range of construction projects both public and private. Safety standards were often not applied, wages sometimes withheld and speed was always the priority, he said.

“With the union, safety is a priority. Non-union is not like that. Everything is rushed to get it up faster. And safety and caution are pushed to the wind because the bottom line is about a dollar,” he said.

This is why the IUEC makes it a focus of its organizing muscle to bring non-union workers into its ranks.

FULL story at link above.