Reply #35: As the sister of a licensed union member journeyman plumber

[dropkickpa]

I have to say, he and his boss (it's a 4 man business including bossman) do make a tidy profit off of unlicensed workers, as they get called to come in and repair and to do the job right after unlicensed Joe the plumber fucks it up. The licensing system is a means of verifying that the necessary training has been completed, and it's not that easy.

Being a union member gives members access to healthcare, unemployment benefits, defined contribution plans, pensions, and healthcare plans that a business with just 3-4 employees (as most plumbing businesses are) would never be able to afford, and also gives them the opportunity for education and continuing education they'd otherwise not have (being a union member, my brother payed a much lower rate for his journeyman classes and books). How is that a bad thing???