Reply #6: Every time our union got a raise or new benefit, so did I. Didn't take [View All]

[SharonAnn]

me long to figure this out.

I was a professional, and salaried, but I learned that all our benefits were built on the "union" contract. I always felt bad that I benefited even though I wasn't a union member. But I've never forgotten what I received as a result of their work.

While in that job, I had an assignment to work with the union shipping department for major projects. No one else could successfully work with them. I rarely had a problem working with them. I just called them, asked who I should work with to coordinate things, met with that person and we worked out how to handle things. I made sure that my people didn't do any of the "union tasks" and that we treated them as members of our team who were all trying to serve the customer. We had very few problems and the union would let us "bend the rules" once in a while when it seemed necessary.

The foreman/steward told me when I was leaving that I was the only manager they'd worked with whom they trusted.