15 September 2009

when a family member is a scab...

I've been having an argument with my sister lately over the fact she won't join her union, the New South Wales Nurses' Association. Sure, she'll take all the benefits they have achieved but will she join? Of course not. Instead she complains and says things such as
"...it is a piss weak union, look at what teachers get!!"
Of course, I explained to her that teachers achieve so much because they're willing to fight. They organise themselves well through their union and are highly unionised. They don't get anything. They fight for it.

Her chief excuse is that they did a dud deal last time. Admittedly it wasn't the best deal but to not have done anything or gone through arbitration would've meant two years before a pay rise and she works for the NSW government, the one going bankrupt rapidly. Any pay rise above their pathetic 2.5% offer was a good outcome.

So instead of fighting for a better outcome next time, she'll complain and moan and let her colleagues do her fighting for her. I think she uses the outcome as an excuse - she wouldn't join anyway, as I said
"Frankly, I don't think you'd be a member even if the union didn't trade off RDO accumulation. It's just your excuse to not pay up."
Now, my question is, do I call her a "scab"? She is one, after all.

1 comment:

ileum said...

"Sure, she'll take all the benefits they have achieved but will she join? Of course not."

This really gives me the shits as well.