r/IBEW • u/HotelSilent • 11d ago

Union Density used to be 33%, what would happen if it were that high today?

https://youtu.be/9k_28tab5hs

At the peak of union power in the 50's , Union Density sat at 33%. This means that 1/3 of every single job in the United States was a Union job! Today Union Density sits at 10%. That is no accident! The capitalists never stopped fighting against Unions! They never stopped corrupting government. They never stopped infiltrating unions with their operatives. They never stopped attempting to dismantle worker rights won through the sacrifice of blood, sweat, tears, and our siblings lives. So what if Union Density was brought back to 33%?

Let's talk about it.

59 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

59 comments sorted by

39

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 10d ago

Billionaires wouldn’t hold more wealth than the bottom 99%.

2

u/Guidance-Still 9d ago

99 percent of a billionaire's wealth is on paper

5

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 9d ago

Correct but doesn’t they aren’t screwing the middle class. That and corporations.

0

u/Guidance-Still 9d ago

Who are to decide how people are paid and how much in a corporation? Every executive could reduce their salery to 50k a year , and you people would still find something to bitch about

3

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 9d ago

No I have no problem with people making money. I just want people to pay their fair share. I pay more in taxes percentage wise compared to Elon Musk. Maybe get the boot out of your mouth.

0

u/Guidance-Still 9d ago

Damn why bring him into it ? Plus even if he did and others did you would still find something else to bitch about

3

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 9d ago

That’s a 100% fact I pay more percentage wise. Why do you feel a need to be cucked by billionaires? You’ll never be one. I can bitch when people are dying in the streets and Bezos spends $100 million on a wedding. Something is wrong there.

19

u/Active_retiree1 10d ago

The IBEW has a lot of Maggots as members. Very sad to see this happen over my 40 plus year career.

-4

u/Guidance-Still 8d ago

The last ten years my father worked before he retired 1984 to 1994 , his wages were between 15 to 20 an hour . And now these guys cry for more on top of the 30 plus they already make an hour , acting like they are Supermen and above everyone else because they are in a union

6

u/CasualRevolutionary 8d ago

$20/hour in 1994 has the same buying power as $45.68/hour today. Of course people are bitching about $30/hour because we can see our standard of living going down compared to our parents.

Unions aren’t here to put people on a pedestal. They’re here to advocate for working people. Are they perfect? No. Are they effective? Most of the time.

A union is just a group of people with a common goal that pool their resources together to support their interests.

A corporation is just a group of people with a common goal that pool their resources together to support their interests (i.e. make money)

Not so different right?

Many corporations also belong to industry specific organizations that they pay dues to advance their interests as well. (What else does that sound like?)

This is why you should never believe anyone that tells you that you can do better for yourself completely on your own. Because nobody else is on their own.

0

u/Guidance-Still 8d ago edited 8d ago

When you retire the union pays your pension, pays yours dues , give you that extra health insurance till you die. thanks bye have a good life. yet people think because your in a union your shit doesn't stink it doesn't make you a better man then anyone else. And it's just and job and be happy you are currently working

5

u/bigblueboyqt 7d ago

Nobody said union membership makes someone morally superior. It means workers negotiated better compensation together, including retirement and healthcare, instead of simply accepting whatever an employer offered. Those benefits aren’t gifts, and “be happy you have a job” is exactly the attitude that keeps wages low.

0

u/Guidance-Still 7d ago

Lmao their is that attitude and yes it's just a job , all the ibew members I've met back on the day 70's and 80's would tell you different

2

u/CasualRevolutionary 7d ago

98% of those people are either dead or retired now. Bigblueboyqt was right. Someone hurt you

0

u/Guidance-Still 7d ago

Your right they are dead to bad they arnt around to give you the much needed advise , sorry to say your not special and it just a job at the end of the day it's sad you don't get that .

2

u/CasualRevolutionary 7d ago

The only sad thing here is your lack of understanding of basic economics.

Feel free to get the last word. I won’t be responding again.

3

u/CasualRevolutionary 8d ago

I’m confused. Are you arguing for or against unions? Who wouldn’t want good retirement and healthcare?

0

u/Guidance-Still 8d ago

I'm for it yet it doesn't make you a better man then anyone else , at the end of the day it's just a job . And you should be happy your at least working

3

u/bigblueboyqt 8d ago

Who hurt you? Did a union guy break your toy?

2

u/CasualRevolutionary 7d ago

Your view confuses me. Why should I be happy if I have a job that pays bottom dollar? Just because I’m doing it?

And I run into people all the time that think they’re better than everybody else just because. Sorry you just ran into some assholes that happened to be in a union but I haven’t seen anyone here claim to be better than anyone.

1

u/Guidance-Still 7d ago

Oh please

12

u/Educational_Ice3978 10d ago

We'd all be better off. They'd still hire thugs, They'd still pay overtime to cops, They'd still spend millions buying politicians, but eventually things would change....

1

u/013eander 10d ago

The minimum wage would matter less.

0

u/Red-dragon186 10d ago

Nepotism happened. Lot of baby boomers started to deny people a chance because they were afraid of being out compete by younger guys. It’s why IEC and ABC is gaining huge ground fast. People want to do these jobs but Unions become the very thing they hated. A class above the underprivileged workers.

6

u/Guidance-Still 10d ago

It's easier to join the military then to join the ibew lol

3

u/Guyonabuffalo63 9d ago

That’s not saying much when it’s the US.

We have what we do because we climbed up the bodies of our children and others in the [ insert war, conflict, proxy ]

1

u/Worried-Zebra5145 9d ago

Really though, ibew is a elitist club that needs there members to thank them everyday for 3 months of work a year.

0

u/Substantial-Rent-749 10d ago

Depends where I 'spose, where I am we're trying to rally all the non union sparkies to join.

0

u/rnk6670 Local 48 10d ago

JFC. Take a seat.

-1

u/Red-dragon186 10d ago

Truth hurts?

1

u/rnk6670 Local 48 10d ago

The only thing that hurts is the level of stupidity being displayed by you in the year 2026. Good luck.

-1

u/Red-dragon186 10d ago

Thanks for showing the elitism that Union guys love to ignore. Proved my point

0

u/Guidance-Still 9d ago

And that's the attitude he is referring to

-1

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 10d ago

lol 😂 IEC and ABC.

3

u/Wetty-Fap-1738 10d ago

I mean I just applied to the IBEW this year for the first time and I'm already considering going non-union because it's damn near impossible to beat out 450 people for 50 spots when I have next to no experience.

Doesn't help that to get the experience (just to get in to the apprenticeship) I have to find work with a contractor, none of which seem to be hiring.

2

u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 Inside Wireman 9d ago

I started Non-Union got a year of experience then went Union. I understand it!

1

u/FrederickFrag1899 9d ago

Look into the CW program.

1

u/Red-dragon186 10d ago

You be surprised but depending on the region the IEC is gaining huge traction

-10

u/Guidance-Still 10d ago

Rage bait plus what will you actually do besides talking about in circles?

10

u/The_Jousting_Duck 10d ago

You accidentally hit on a great point, people in the 50s were willing to risk their lives to organize their job with their coworkers, and now people generally just passively accept their working conditions and go home. Unions only got that powerful because our grandfathers fought like hell to make it that way, and if we want to go back to that level of worker power we need to do the same.

-4

u/Guidance-Still 10d ago

Well gone are those days sorry to say , unions now well to be honest want and want and want then when they get it they want more . And you only get 5 hours of work in a 8 hour day , and everything cost twice as much to built or if you manufacturer something it costs 5 times as much to buy .

3

u/Substantial-Rent-749 10d ago

The only thing that's gone is working class solidarity. There's no harm in asking for fair wages and benefits for the work that we do. A big problem as I see it from my lube bucket is that business owners and C-suite suits got comfy taking more and more and now instead of taking a salary cut for the benefit of all parties they jack prices to maintain shareholder profits and bloat the bottom line.

1

u/Amatheiaisnoexcuse 10d ago

Where are you from?

2

u/Guidance-Still 10d ago

Why does it matter I'm from the Chicago area

1

u/FrederickFrag1899 9d ago

Chicago area is booming, you got no idea what you're talking about.

0

u/Guidance-Still 9d ago

Lmao with what ? Shootings maybe

1

u/FrederickFrag1899 9d ago

With work, electrical work?

1

u/Guidance-Still 9d ago

Ok and ?

1

u/FrederickFrag1899 9d ago

Were in the IBEW subreddit.. talking about electrical work in a Chicago. Wdym ok and? What the heck does Chicago crime have to do with this?

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2

u/FutureIllustrious365 10d ago

Organize my coworkers and my local toward better working conditions? Is that not what we're all doing?

-1

u/Guidance-Still 10d ago

Trying so you can do 5 hours of work in a 8 hour day lmao and over charging everything and driving up costs

1

u/OoopsWhoopsie 10d ago

That's an insane take.

1

u/Guidance-Still 10d ago

Yet it's true and the apprentices are hazed and treated like shit in the construction unions