I got a job once that required me to join the union. It was bagging groceries part time for minimum wage at a grocery store. Sorry I don't mean to be a downer, I see union membership as a good thing. Unions are like democracy. They are only as good as the people they are made of.
Yeah, I got really screwed by Pepsi and their "union". Overall though, unions are great and we need more of them to combat shit employers. Just don't let your union reps be company men...
Yeah, my brothers first job in a grocery store, sane thing. He was required to join a union and the dues taken out of his pay, despite being part time minimum wage for the summer . All the union benefits were for full timers, so it was basically stealing money from people who could least afford it.
I’m generally pro- union but for sure there are some taking advantage
I'm sure the union rep made it sound like you must, but I wonder if you were actually required. The major US grocery chain I worked for, the union shoved themselves down your throat but it was NOT required. It felt to me that their negotiations amounted more to collusion than actually fighting for the workers. I hope they're the weakest union in the history of the world and that they don't all suck as badly.
Why tf would you ever join a union for a minimum wage? What are they even doing for you in that case beside making you actually make less than minimum wage now after you pay your dues.
A lot of times it is another way to "pay your dues". Once you're "in" the union, you probably get preferential treatment for higher level full time jobs...
It depends on the state. Some states don't have right to work laws, meaning that you can be forced to join a union to work a certain job. Unions are great ideas but some of them really do suck. My ex was sexually harassed repeatedly by her manager at a grocery store and the union reps told her to take a compliment and quit complaining.
The way I remember it (40 years ago) the manager told me joining was required but I could be wrong. It was an awful union. Former employees were suing the union and grocery store chain for how bad they were screwed over