This Leadership Course is Torture

[UptonSinclair]

Have you ever worked in a bargaining unit environment as a manager? More times than not all you really have to rely on is your persuasive/motivational abilities to get jobs done. It really takes an act of god to fire someone in the union so managers have to resort to other methods of "getting the job done through others"
I would say that knowing different techniques to motivate employees is beneficial in this situation. Also knowing when and how to use different leadership styles can be a huge plus. Different situations call for different types of direction for the team. Sometimes the non-motivated or inexperienced may need some extra guidance with a more authoritarian type of leadership, other times a simple participative style will do.

As an IBEW electrician, I consider this a gross over generalization. It is simple to get rid of an employee at my place of work. We have had three people fired in the last three years.

[dposborne]

As a manager over IBEW employees I would beg to differ. Usually an incomprehensible amount of proof is needed to terminate an employee that is "protected" by the contract. I can give you a few examples where employees failed fit for duty tests (positive hit on urinalysis) and still had a job after all was said and done because it was the company's responsibility to send them to rehab and give them another chance...

A lot of times I feel that there is a need for the union, but a lot of other times I really feel that it's there to protect the ones who like to play the games...

[UptonSinclair]

Basing a general statement on the conditions of one workplace would fit the definition of gross over-generalization in my opinion.

In the last three years we have had...

One fired for working out during shift work
One fired for spending too much time chatting with guards
One fired for sleeping on the job


You must be dealing with a very strong local and very weak management. Contracts come up for renewal and these issues should be dealt with in contract negotiations. There is no benefit in the local defending people who give us a bad name. We have nothing about rehab in our contract. Fail the drug test and you won't make it in the building.

[dposborne]

I was a manager over Millwrights at a steel mill a few years back... It was the same deal. I am not basing my opinion on one shop, I've been around quite a bit in my 23 years of supervising others...

[UptonSinclair]

You are still making general accusations based on anecdotal evidence. It shows a negative bias against organized labor.

[dposborne]

Sorry for offending you but the truth is the truth... You see your side and I see mine how about we agree to disagree and move on with the topic that the OP was posting about.