teamsters local union 237

Hello everyone,
I work in Nyc for a city agency. My union is teamsters local 237. This
is the first and only union I have been a member of. For all union members
on Ats I have a question. My union, because of a mayor's executive order, the
union represents both low level workers and management. My direct supervisor
is also a member of the same union. The union's position on this is that
its legal and they are like the parent to a brother/ sister relationship between
Workers and management. The union delegates are still city employees
Doing union related business. They receive pay from both union and city.
I cannot even begin to tell you the treatment management gets and the
Treatment regular employees get.

Is it common for unions to represent both workers and management?
Is this not a conflict of interest? Any advice out there?

reply to post by Prisoner60863


yep, they're a monster
I was going to blow the whistle here in texas.....insurance fraud....but I knew the "boys from detroit" would come for a visit.....

80 cents an hour deducted for insurance based on a 40 hour week......but we worked 60-80 hours a week .....when addressed at a meeting.....the speaker said that was not scheduled for that meeting......bunch of men hollared "you putting that money in your back pocket".....and walked out

reply to post by Prisoner60863


Do the "workers" and "managers" have separate contracts and bargaining units ?

I would think so.

Sounds very fishy to me just the same.

I am not union but have good friend that is union . I don't totally understand your question either. But from what I understand union is union period. From local pipe fitters to carpenters there all kinds of union workers. They are all under the same union from my understanding because they are all in the same union newspaper. sorry I can't help more.

It's not all that unusual. I've worked for a company that represented both labor and management for IBEW. My job was to work directly with management to make sure they were using union contractors on their jobs and to address whatever concerns they had along the way to keep them using union labor. I also was the first point of contact with management that didn't use union contractors and keep reassuring them of the quality of the workforce and how they actually would be saving money by using union workers.

Basically if it were 45 years ago, I'd be the guy with the shotgun in the trunk and reminding management of how important it was to hire union contractors, and if they didn't, my guess is they would be sized up for cement shoes and swimming with the fishes.

So, it's not all that uncommon, society has just been moving away from this practice and trying to be more political about it.

reply to post by Prisoner60863


government job unions are like that
suspect that your contract was written like other civic unions and only managed by the teamsters.

you have to follow the contract ratified by the members, this means not making waves, or you will find out how quick it is to be fired and have no friends.

This happens a lot with unions.

Go Union, until you find out there is no real bargaining power at all, ha ha what do your worthless dues cost you a month

I asked your questions to a teamster steward I know and he said that this situation still exists at a few locals around here but the majority have changed to move away from the management/non management representation, which of course is a conflct of interest. He said if the majority of non management employees write a petition to end it and collectively show your local's officers that it is not working in the interest of non management employees then they should work on your behalf to amend a contract. He said ususally long standing ways of doing things do not change without some pressure and persistence because people start to just say, "that's the way we've always done things here." He said contracts can always change, they are not set in stone but it takes more than one person. I am not from your part of the country and neither is this steward so I am relaying information that is not about NYC or anywhere close to it. Good luck.