NPUA

[Already Gone]

Jason,
Crossing jurisdictions usually costs money.  But, I doubt that techs would have to pay the IBEW dues if they are members of NPUA.  At those sites, like Salem/Hope Creek, you have to be e member of the union to work there, but if you can get their union to recognize yours, you don't have to join theirs.

RadBastard,
What do you have to be insulted about?  I described two distinct groups of RP techs.  There are those pulling the wagon, and those riding in it.  Which group do you find yourself to be in?  If you feel insulted, it must be because you are sitting in the wagon.  For certain, if you are one of the ones pulling, you would be agreeing with me instead of objecting. I am amused at your limited understanding of my job though.  I have done your job.  I was doing it when you were taking Drivers' Ed.  I never found it difficult to grasp.  There were times when I found that getting the workers to follow the procedures was like herding house cats, but I still have that to deal with.  When you have as many years at my job as I have had in yours, you'll be able to talk to me about it.  For now, stick to what you know.

But you need to get the needle out of the groove that you keep playing over and over.  "The pay, the bennies, the per diem, the pay , the bennies, the per diem, the pay, the bennies, the per diem, the pay, the bennies, the per diem...."

Start singing this song, and the real techs will listen.
Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification, Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification ...

[JsonD13]

But, I doubt that techs would have to pay the IBEW dues if they are members of NPUA.  At those sites, like Salem/Hope Creek, you have to be e member of the union to work there, but if you can get their union to recognize yours, you don't have to join theirs.

I would think that most sites that require techs to pay into the union (whether house or contractor) would tend not to recognize said union?

Jason

[Camella Black]

I guess someone has to say it.......... !

I must admit I'm not completely aware of the NPUA standard for acceptance as a member, but.....

Troy probably wouldn't be eligable for membership in the union!        (Safety Geek)

Camella probably wouldn't either!        (House Wife)

Maybe there's some sort of Honorary Membership?     

Unions speak TO and FOR their membership and as rude as it sounds, I don't know of one that ISN'T a closed community!

As it's been stated many times on many threads, "Those who Can't, Bitch the Most"

I do have one question I wish Mike would clarify, "What Unions have Advertized on Nukeworker"?

My $0.02, RG!

Is there some problem with being a housewife? It's a role I chose and a role I am proud of. If you had bothered to do a little research you would have discovered that I also hold a AD in Public Service and a BA in Psychology, so don’t attempt to portray me as the little woman who just sat at home, please… 
 
Besides, I HAVE worked in the nuclear industry and while it has been a long time ago, and I was but a junior  , I did the job and I did it proudly and very well if I must say so myself.  I also have enough experience as the daughter, wife, sister, mother and spouse of nuclear techs that I believe anything the NPUA is offering is relevant to me. Please remember that I come from a nuclear family and while we might not be as famous as some to date we have combined in excess of 100 safe working years. 

Please remember, that a spouses' benefits are those of his/her dependants as well and in the case of accident or injury or even death; it will be the spouse or other dependant who will be dealing with either the lack of benefits or the resulting tangle of paperwork if there are any. It will also be the spouse and dependants who will (hopefully) rewarded with retirement (when that day comes).

To dismiss me (and by default other spouses) is insulting and insecure and goes back to what I have been saying the entire time... too many of you supporters are killing the NPUA with your negativity. Sad, really sad.

[fueldryer]

Where is this magical world where every week a tech gets 88-hours of pay for 6-hours of work?  Apparently two of you know where it is.

SunDog,
I'm not an RP, I move fuel for a living.I make damn good money and have some of the best bennies in the industry(which by the way,cost me nothing)And I don't/won't ever belong to another union.Been down that road before.

[Marlin]

Thanx fschip, maybe some of the bickering will settle down (one can hope anyway).

[Brett LaVigne]

Being dressed in PC's, sitting at a CP, is not work.
Sitting in the Video Gallery, waiting for something to happen, is not work.
Hiding out in tool decon is not work.
Having a smoke on the roof is not work.
Escorting an LSA box that is reading 0.1mR/hr on contact down the driveway is not work.

Yeah, you have to do these things.  You get paid to do most of them.  But you'd have to be the biggest crybaby on the planet to count any of it as work (as in "work hard" or "overworked").

Lots of techs are sweating buckets in nasty places with no help and too many jobs to cover at once.
Lots more techs are pressing butt cheeks against a chair.

The irony is which group makes the most noise about their work load.

I think maybe someone should go and do an outage as a Sr. Tech to get a fresh perspective. Since I have been back (2006), I have noticed that it is much different to be a Sr. Tech on the road. The staffing has decreased significantly and sweating is a pretty common thing these days as an RP Tech. The items you mention as not being work, I agree with. Saying it in such a way that you point to the craft as a whole and not just the small percentage of lazy slugs that exist in every place of employment (and proffession) to some degree, is offensive and lacks insight. Not to mention that it is just plain incorrect to make an assumption that the RP group as a whole behaves in this manor, we don't. For over 20 years I have worked with mostly professional and conscientious RP technicians. I would categorize us as a professional group that cares about what they are doing and takes the responsibility seriously. There are of course a small percentage that simply suck wind, they are the exception in my opinion and should not have a bearing on judging the group as a whole. I hope you are not in a management position, I really can't see fair treatment with that kind of thinking.

Where I work, we all suck rubber and sweat. Most of us kind of like it and the ones that don't, never complain about it. We are professionals and our union sees to it that we are treated that way. The things you have described are people management problems, not RP technician problems.

Now what was this thread about anyway?

[hamsamich]

I don't like sucking rubber.  But I do agree that the outages are going in that direction overall (more work).  Plants people don't really want to go to are usually the sites of harder working conditions.  The better plants (higher pay, better unemp states, friendly atmosphere, etc.), usually have enough people and you can still find 3 in and 3 out.  But on that 3 out there is usually something going on.  At Calvert we did do alot of sitting, but at Limerick there was mucho work.  I think the lower pay is driving people to find other work, either DOE or another job altogether.  It is tough going somewhere and being put in a responsible and conscientious job and being payed lower than most everyone else.  People can go on and on about not looking at other people's pay and just be happy with what you get, but honestly it is one of the ways we all gauge ourselves, say what you will.  That "just be happy" placebo only works to a point.  I could probably live and be happy on 15 bucks an hour.  I'd rather not.  But the part about people being paid market price is dead on.  If people will do it for 23 an hour, then that is what they will be paid.

The sticking point in my opinion is what kind of RP tech do these companies want?  I think there is a possibility they can get by with this run-of-the-mill RP tech who are populating the bulk of the less desirable plants.  You know the type; either they can't do it right, are scared, can't climb, take too many smears (inefficient) etc.  So a couple of strong techs anchor each area and they try to "get by" working the dogcrap out of the strong ones while the other techs run in place or hide.  So yes, while a majority of the techs are working hard, they may not be helping the cause proportionately.  I think if the pay continues to stay low you might have entire areas being run by these types of technicians.  The plant will have a harder time completing outages in a timely manner and a major mistake may eventually happen, or maybe not.  It seems some of the plants don't mind rolling the dice on this gamble.  We will see how it turns out.  I'm truly undecided on which way it will end up.

But aside from that, we are RP techs, not scaffold builders.  I'd rather go build a scaffold sometimes and not escort that 0.1 box.  But that is our job.  Saying that type of stuff isn't work is nonsense.  It is annoying having to do some of that silly crap....and it is work.

[Already Gone]

where to start:) several of the following answers are rather obvious to even the most uneducated laymen. npua elections are scheduled on a regular basis and are posted in advance to members on the npua website.since you know everything about unions you know that those positions are not appointed for life. succesful contracts have been posted there as well. the spectrum contract expired. personal funds will be paid back by the union when it can financially handle it. that would be union dues(rather obvious) no, union financial records are not open to just anyone. no compensation for officers and board members at this time. a timetable based upon union financial viability is spelled out in the union bylaws as to when and if future compensation is to be paid. as for a board member being certified by the nrrpt 30 years ago with only 13 years of experience it probably never occured to you that perhaps he was in the business 30 years ago and was certified back then but left the business in 1992. he was just being honest on his resume. not trying to apply for the notre dame head coaching job. i guess the potential member wont have to worry about us getting his pension straight and it will be honest as well:) there you have it bc.....your response in well under a year. next time only ask questions THAT YOU CANNOT FIND ON YOUR OWN BY DOING A LITTLE READING ON THE NPUA WEBSITE. we really dont have the time or inclination to educate those that wont take the time to educate themselves:)

Yeah, 'cause that wasn't difficult to read at all.  How about writing it in sanskrit next time.
NRRPT does not "certify" anyone.  An RRPT knows that. 
You have an officer of your union who hasn't been in the nuke business for 18 years, but you and your proxies continually slap at me because I "don't have a dog in the hunt."
The Spectrum contract "expired" huh?  Gee I wonder why it wasn't renewed.
Won't open your books?  Why not?  What have you got to hide?  If you recall, I asked if they would be open tho the members.  I think you ought to reconsider that answer.
But, all that is trivia.  What I really want to ask is this:  Are you actually admitting that you are here, answering questions?  Is the "won't dignify that with a response" policy now officially over?  Or are you just going to pretend that you are not who I know you are?

[longbow55]

This reply is from the Bret LaVinge statement. Couldn't agree with you more! Quotes from that particular person is what runs a lot of people away from this site, To be called things that he calls them and get away with it is amazing. I am one of the ones who has had posts removed before. They were not offensive to anyone and were actually in defense of someone.

Safety person, huh. Never see them after the first day. I spent 10-11 hours a day in containment and they spent 0. I guess all the work was going on at their desk. As for the money that's a bunch of hog wash. I've made their money before and it's nothing to get excited about. As an RP Tech my checks are 5k net every week during an outage.


Mr. Beercourt you spout a lot and try to intimidate people but the truth be told you are a blow hard. What you have to say about the NPUA makes not one bit of difference to me. You need to learn some manners and realize everybody counts, not just you. When you do that perhaps people will return to this site more often. As it stands now people have found alternative ways to stay in touch with the nuclear world other then here.
I realize this is off topic and I will refrain from any further digressions in the future if I visit here again.

Come to think of it, where do you get all of this free time to folllow the posts so closely if you work so hard? It would appear to me you have a lot of free time on your hands.








 

[Already Gone]

But, all that is trivia.  What I really want to ask is this:  Are you actually admitting that you are here, answering questions?  Is the "won't dignify that with a response" policy now officially over?  Or are you just going to pretend that you are not who I know you are?

cmon bc since you obviously know everything and you think im trying to hide who i am....just tell me who i am. anyone who really knows me should be able to answer that since i have had the same handle for all forms of communication for 15 years more or less. as for ending our so called official policy on no response i think its safe to say that if i only have 5 hours logged into this site since i joined years ago.......i dont waste a lot of time here. try reading the constitution and bylaws of the npua before wasting my time with questions that you can find out on your own. to paraphrase one of your earlier rants i'll tell you where to read it....im not going to read it to you.
 p.s. prospective members are not MEMBERS....go tell the ibew you are thinking about joining but you want to see their books first.....hmmm i wonder what they would say.
p.s.p.s. i guess you have no comment on the bartlett petition or the vote which will be a direct result of that petition here in the near future. that is probably too on topic and positive for you to comment on huh.

Go back a few pages and you'll see that I already gave you props for that move.  You don't get any more than that until you win the vote.

Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
Title II - Reporting Requirements

    * Unions must file information reports, constitutions and bylaws, and annual financial reports with OLMS.
    * Officers and employees of labor unions must report any loans and benefits received from, or certain financial interests in, employers whose employees their unions represent and businesses that deal with their unions.
    * Employers and labor-relations consultants who engage in certain activities to persuade employees about their union activities or to supply information to the employer must file reports.
    * Surety companies that issue bonds required by the LMRDA or the Employee Retirement Income Security Act must report data such as premiums received, total claims paid, and amounts recovered.
    * The Secretary of Labor has authority to enforce the reporting requirements of the LMRDA.
    * The reports and documents filed with OLMS are public information and any person may examine them or obtain copies at OLMS offices or via the OLMS Internet Public Disclosure Room at www.unionreports.dol.gov.
    * Filers must retain the records necessary to verify the reports for at least five years after the reports are filed.
    * Unions must make reports available to members and permit members to examine records for just cause.


According to the LMRDA I don't even have to be a prospective member to access those records.

Frank, I don't think that you are hiding your identity.  What I have a problem with is that you think people are stupid.  You can't come here and post under the name "fschip", sign your name "Frank" and then have your minions come here and deny outright that NPUA officers are posting here.  Apparently, there is some reason why you didn't want people to think that you were here, but whatever that reason is; you can't walk into a room and say "I'm not here."

[JsonD13]

I'm not perfectly sure how this works, but maybe someone could help.  The laborers and other trades are all unionized through the local unions.  The company makes up a contract with DZ or Bartlett or whoever, and they have to go to the union first to fill jobs.  Who gets the job is based upon the union's seniority list.  I am not sure how the pay and bennies work out, but if you are working under that union I would think that you are getting the same pay and bennies as the house guys (correct me if I am wrong).  The only thing that the laborers and trade workers have to do is make sure they are current on their dues and training so that they are eligible to be on the seniority list.


My question is this, if there is already a model for which this has been done, why try to reinvent the wheel on the way unions should interface with companies when it comes to contract workers?  I would think that as long as you are paying your dues to your union, you should be called up for the jobs you want and get the pay and bennies that the local union negotiates, yes?

I am not sure on the upsides and downsides of that model though, so if someone could help me understand why you would need an entirely separate entity to be the union when you are still paying the local union, that would be great.

I am not bashing anyone or saying that the NPUA is a bad idea, just trying to be educated.

Jason

[Already Gone]

I'm not perfectly sure how this works, but maybe someone could help.  The laborers and other trades are all unionized through the local unions.  The company makes up a contract with DZ or Bartlett or whoever, and they have to go to the union first to fill jobs.  Who gets the job is based upon the union's seniority list.  I am not sure how the pay and bennies work out, but if you are working under that union I would think that you are getting the same pay and bennies as the house guys (correct me if I am wrong).  The only thing that the laborers and trade workers have to do is make sure they are current on their dues and training so that they are eligible to be on the seniority list.


My question is this, if there is already a model for which this has been done, why try to reinvent the wheel on the way unions should interface with companies when it comes to contract workers?  I would think that as long as you are paying your dues to your union, you should be called up for the jobs you want and get the pay and bennies that the local union negotiates, yes?

I am not sure on the upsides and downsides of that model though, so if someone could help me understand why you would need an entirely separate entity to be the union when you are still paying the local union, that would be great.

I am not bashing anyone or saying that the NPUA is a bad idea, just trying to be educated.

Jason

I don't think that NPUA is trying to do anything different from the regular union model.

A contract company hires people by calling the union Business Agent with their requirements.  The BA calls out workers based on their classification from the list of available members.  It is not done by seniority.  It is done by whose name comes to the top of the list next.  Theoretically, the person who has been out of work longest is called first.  When you get laid-off, your name goes to the bottom of the list.

The pay and benefits are negotiated with each employer.  They may be different from those of the house employees.  However, in a given locality, the contracts tend to be similar, if not identical, for all employers.  The union itself administers all benefits.  The employer simply pays the cost of those benefits to the union per the contract.  It is a little different from the house system, where the employer may provide some of the benefits directly.

The advantage of doing this is that the persons whom the NPUA are seeking to represent are not currently members of any union or they are working for several employers without any negotiated contract at different locations.  Some are members of another union, (IBEW for example) but only work under contract between that union and their employer at certain sites.  They are not dispatched to those jobs by the union, and their contract provides very few benefits if any.
For example, an RP working an outage at Hope Creek for Bartlett, would be a member of IBEW Local 96 (or is it 94?).  He isn't sent by a BA.  He isn't assigned based on any work list.  He is simply hired by Bartlett and pays dues to IBEW for the time he works there.  THe contract between IBEW and Bartlett does not contain any provisions for retirement, medical insurance, training, ... etc.  A month later, he may be working at Limerick for Bartlett, but not under any union contract.  It is very different from the arrangement that an Electrician would have with the IBEW.

There have been efforts to organize the RP/decon technicians into other unions, but they have not been successful on a nation-wide basis.  The NPUA is specifically oriented toward representing this small and unique niche of workers who don't really fit into the other unions because their trade is so specialized and the work doesn't really fit into the jurisdiction of many of the locals of other trades.  If a particular local of a trade union has one nuclear outage in its area every two years, it isn't suited to dispatch RP's at any other time - while a pipefitter can go from a nuke outage to a construction job to a coal-burner to a refinery all in the course of a few months.  RP's are not Pipefitters, or Carpenters, or Electricians.  For house employees, any trade, including RP's, can be members of whatever union represents the employees of that utility, it is very rare for a tradeperson who travels or works for contract companies to belong to any union other than the one that represents their trade.  The NPUA is currently the only union to represent the RP's as a trade.

Make sense?  I hope I didn't confuse you further.

[JsonD13]

Naw you didnt confuse me further, I'm a pretty good reader. 

So basically for the union plants out there, this could make things more difficult (and costly) by putting two unions under one roof (the house and the contractors unions) instead of just one.  I woud imagine that the tech would have to pay two dues, one to the local and one to the NPUA.  Also, the contract company would have to have two CBA's, one with the local (like they do now) and one with NPUA.

I dont think that will be too much of an issue though if NPUA gets rolling though.  My union dues are pretty low and I could handle paying double (not that I would want to ).

Jason

[Already Gone]

Naw you didnt confuse me further, I'm a pretty good reader. 

So basically for the union plants out there, this could make things more difficult (and costly) by putting two unions under one roof (the house and the contractors unions) instead of just one.  I woud imagine that the tech would have to pay two dues, one to the local and one to the NPUA.  Also, the contract company would have to have two CBA's, one with the local (like they do now) and one with NPUA.

I dont think that will be too much of an issue though if NPUA gets rolling though.  My union dues are pretty low and I could handle paying double (not that I would want to ).

Jason

I still don't think you get it.
House employees belong to whatever union they have chosen to represent them.
Contractor employees belong to the union that represents their trade.
A contractor's employees don't have to pay dues to the house's union.  They pay to their own.
If you belong to IBEW, and a contract company brings in people for the outage who belong to NPUA, you would be working under two different CBA's.

[JsonD13]

Then why does my plant require contract employees to pay to our local union?  Does this go away if they become represented by a different union?

Jason

[Already Gone]

It's a matter of jurisdiction.  If a member of your union from another local comes to work in your local, he may have to pay into the dues of your local.  There are reciprocity agreements among locals.  He can petition to have certain assessments returned to his local.
A member of another union who comes to work at your site doesn't have to pay dues into your union.  But, as Frank said, there may be some fees that the other union will pay in order to be recognized by the house union.  That is not normal, as long as both unions recognize each other, and there are clear delineations between what work can be done by whom.

[HydroDave63]

I don't agree that I am chasing people away from this site.  You're here, aren't you?  

The ones that have left didn't check in with you first.

[Already Gone]

Well, you did (at least me).

In the past you have told us that by striking deals with employers before striking deals with the employees the NPUA was going about organizing technicians ass backwards. Now, you tell us the NPUA is not trying to "do anything different from the regular union model."

I believe that you have also told us that the NPUA was not a real Union.  Correct me if I am wrong here, but haven't you previously described the NPUA as more an organization than a Union?  Now, you tell us that the "NPUA is currently the only union to represent the RP's as a trade." 

By declaring to everyone that the NPUA is a legitimate Union that is following the "regular union model" and the sole representative of the traveling RP Technician your ship has tacked.

Welcome aboard sailor.

I'm not on board yet.
We don't have the room, the time, or the energy to go over the whole timeline right now.  At first, the stuff they were doing really raised my suspicions.  They were either a scam masquerading as a union or a union that couldn't shoot straight.  I'm not convinced that they are expert marksmen at this point, but at least they are finally aiming in the direction of the correct target.
They way I see it, it is the NPUA ship that has tacked.  It was inevitable that they would figure out that the only way to organize a large enough portion of the techs is to go after the big players.  I grant you that it is a huge challenge, but it has to be done.
Striking the deal with Spectrum was ass backwards.  Spectrum didn't know what they were getting into.  When they learned what they would have to endure to staff an outage, they quickly disappeared.  I am not clairvoyant, but I saw it coming.  They had 59 people confirmed at Wolf Creek for some really well-paying jobs.  Only 14 showed up.  That was not NPUA's fault.  It was to be expected that the fickle techs would opt for the long term and go back to Bartlett and Atlantic rather than burn a bridge for one outage.  Spectrum didn't give any consideration to the need to have some work to follow that one hitter.  They weren't rooted in the business well enough to deal with 45 fish spitting out the hook.  They weren't totally to blame either.  The real blame rests with the people who were signing up for the glitter and gold but had no commitment to the union.
This is why I keep preaching to stop making it about the money.  If all you do is hawk big money, you're just going to get interest from people who will hear the cha-ching.  To stretch the fishing analogy a little further -- You can bait your hook with a tasty morsel, but you won't get a fish to want to get into the boat with you.
It's a simple reality.  If you get Bartlett or Atlantic you are in the game.  If you don't get either, you are on the bench.
NPUA is going after Bartlett.  I sincerely wish them the best of luck.
I don't know if Bartlett management would agree with me, but I feel that they would be better off if their techs were better off.

[RADBASTARD]

Well oh wise HARRY POTTER,YODA i've been doing this 29 years as an hp how about you?
SO YOU THINK I GOT THE RIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT?
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS?
 You think you've been doing this as long as me?
If you have it can't be much.
I was also house before so i've done both. I have had the titles of tech,supervisor,site cord,Worked overseas,and RSO so what.
As far as worrying about your fellow techs getting screwed,stop it like you really care all you have done is put it down from day one.The techs out there are big boys and girls and I even think a few even have brains so I really don't think they need you to have their backs
YOU ARE SO CONDESENDING IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY.
You sound like that douche from BP calling everybody the little people
Yes bow before the ooohhh great one BEERCOURT I know so much more than you little people.
WHAT MAKES YOU SO GREAT AND ALL KNOWING ?

Jason,
Crossing jurisdictions usually costs money.  But, I doubt that techs would have to pay the IBEW dues if they are members of NPUA.  At those sites, like Salem/Hope Creek, you have to be e member of the union to work there, but if you can get their union to recognize yours, you don't have to join theirs.

RadBastard,
What do you have to be insulted about?  I described two distinct groups of RP techs.  There are those pulling the wagon, and those riding in it.  Which group do you find yourself to be in?  If you feel insulted, it must be because you are sitting in the wagon.  For certain, if you are one of the ones pulling, you would be agreeing with me instead of objecting. I am amused at your limited understanding of my job though.  I have done your job.  I was doing it when you were taking Drivers' Ed.  I never found it difficult to grasp.  There were times when I found that getting the workers to follow the procedures was like herding house cats, but I still have that to deal with.  When you have as many years at my job as I have had in yours, you'll be able to talk to me about it.  For now, stick to what you know.

But you need to get the needle out of the groove that you keep playing over and over.  "The pay, the bennies, the per diem, the pay , the bennies, the per diem, the pay, the bennies, the per diem, the pay, the bennies, the per diem...."

Start singing this song, and the real techs will listen.
Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification, Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification Security, professionalism, training, solidarity, qualification ...

[Already Gone]

Well oh wise HARRY POTTER,YODA i've been doing this 29 years as an hp how about you?
SO YOU THINK I GOT THE RIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT?
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS?
 You think you've been doing this as long as me?
If you have it can't be much.
I was also house before so i've done both. I have had the titles of tech,supervisor,site cord,Worked overseas,and RSO so what.
As far as worrying about your fellow techs getting screwed,stop it like you really care all you have done is put it down from day one.The techs out there are big boys and girls and I even think a few even have brains so I really don't think they need you to have their backs
YOU ARE SO CONDESENDING IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY.
You sound like that douche from BP calling everybody the little people
Yes bow before the ooohhh great one BEERCOURT I know so much more than you little people.
WHAT MAKES YOU SO GREAT AND ALL KNOWING ?

Tom, Catch your breath. 
You have some big cojones to call me condescending.  Go back and look at your comments about my profession and tell me that wasn't meant to be insulting, condescending, and dismissive.  Your own words prove that you haven't got a clue about what I do.
You and I are the same age.  We started at the same age.  We have both been in this business exactly the same number of years.  We were both house techs and road techs.  We have worked together, and I have to say that you are one of the few RP's I could relieve without worrying that there was a "surprise" hidden somewhere.
But you haven't been an EHS specialist/manager for a single day.  So, you don't have anything to say about it.  We have both been RP's long enough to know what there is to know, but for you to talk like you know what I do now is like you're yelling at the quarterback through your television.

[Marlin]

Neutral corners, count to ten, take a deep breath.

[Brett LaVigne]

My Dad can beat up your Dad!

[HeatherB.]

        

I give up... I've been attempting to follow this thread (pathetic, really). And all I've really come to realize is that I am a mere peon. A plebe... a worker bee... a nothing. I've learned the basic regard of Safety guys & "old school" RP's towards the masses of hard working RP's is that of contempt. And to top it off, I'm only a mere Jr. HP ~~~ *GASP* ~~~ so I can only imagine the snarky comments that will illicit. I have such nerve... I know!

I've learned that the squeakiest wheel gets the grease (or the effort of many a reply, anyways). No real solutions offered by ANYONE... just a lot of defensive posturing & excuses. Bullying & intimidation isn't left in the schoolyard... it's alive & well on this board.

I don't care who's been doing this longest, who has the most experience, who works harder, who's married to whom & who's being paid by what advertiser. I come on this board looking for answers, guidance, suggestions & support. I found NONE of those here... great job everyone. This REDONKULOUS thread is (in a nutshell) what's going so terminally wrong with this industry. We all deserve respect, courtesy, integrity, high regard, civility, and compassion etc.etc. ESPECIALLY FROM EACH OTHER!!!

I have been debating on paying my $$$ and becoming a gold member for a few months, but looking on this board has become a futile effort.

WHAT WAS THE FREAKIN' POST ABOUT AGAIN??? Talk about an epic fail...

[Rennhack]

       

I give up... I've been attempting to follow this thread (pathetic, really). And all I've really come to realize is that I am a mere peon. A plebe... a worker bee... a nothing. I've learned the basic regard of Safety guys & "old school" RP's towards the masses of hard working RP's is that of contempt. And to top it off, I'm only a mere Jr. HP ~~~ *GASP* ~~~ so I can only imagine the snarky comments that will illicit. I have such nerve... I know!

I've learned that the squeakiest wheel gets the grease (or the effort of many a reply, anyways). No real solutions offered by ANYONE... just a lot of defensive posturing & excuses. Bullying & intimidation isn't left in the schoolyard... it's alive & well on this board.

I don't care who's been doing this longest, who has the most experience, who works harder, who's married to whom & who's being paid by what advertiser. I come on this board looking for answers, guidance, suggestions & support. I found NONE of those here... great job everyone. This REDONKULOUS thread is (in a nutshell) what's going so terminally wrong with this industry. We all deserve respect, courtesy, integrity, high regard, civility, and compassion etc.etc. ESPECIALLY FROM EACH OTHER!!!

I have been debating on paying my $$$ and becoming a gold member for a few months, but looking on this board has become a futile effort.

WHAT WAS THE FREAKIN' POST ABOUT AGAIN??? Talk about an epic fail...

I disagree with MARSSIM, I think you hit the nail on the head.  I gave you karma, and I almost never do that.

[Already Gone]

It is about one of the only political debates you will find outside the GM poli-sci area of the site.  If you want to see real nasty stuff, go there.
Anything political is bound to arouse the passions of the posters.  The only reason this thread hasn't been moved into the GM area is because it directly affects all the people who might come here.
Maybe this thread won't help you, and it probably isn't the best one to be the deciding factor for buying a Gold Membership.  But, there are lots of others that might make it worth a little coinage to you.
The job postings on this site are the only job postings specifically aimed at people like you - an RP tech.  The other sites either glean postings off of thinhgamajob or other generic employment sites, or they are overwhelmed with postings for planners, engineers, NDE techs, QC/QA, etc.  You'll find those here too, but you won't have to scroll down 50 pages of them to find the one that is for you.
Whether the NPUA succeeds in organizing the road RP's or not, there will always be a lot of jobs posted for RP's outside the unionized ranks.  So, NukeWorker will be valuable to you or others in your situation for a long time to come.
So, please don't judge the thousands of pages of useful content based on on thread that is the most polarized and contentious of them all.

WHY are we arguing so heatedly?  Well, if you are a Jr. RP, you probably don't remember the several prior attempts to organize the RP trade.  They were worse than failures.  They actually set the field back years in advancement as far as pay, training, working conditions, opportunity, ...etc.
If you, like I, believe that a union is a good thing for the profession, you don't want to see this thing fail.  If you want nothing to do with any union of any kind, you still don't want to see this thing fail.  If it fails, you will lose either way.  So, I have wanted from the beginning for this effort to be done right or not at all.  A bungled or misguided effort will be a total disaster.  It is not a matter of being pro union or anti union for me.  If you are anti union, there will be plenty of work for you outside the NPUA.  If you are pro union, that option should be available to you.  Therefore, a successful attempt by any union to organize RP will "lift all boats" within the profession.  A failure will show the employers that you are powerless against them.
To be perfectly clear, I am not and have never been critical of the fact that NPUA is trying to organize the RP's.  I have been, and will be, critical of how they do it.
Frankly, I see them starting to do things better now than they have in the past. NO, I do NOT believe that those changes have anything at all to do with me.
If you don't like the tone of this discussion, I regret that, but it is nothing compared to what comes next.
Yeah, you're right about us old farts blowing a lot of hot air.  Please forgive us for that.  We just can't help it.  We're just too hard-headed and set in our ways.  Maybe a fresh voice like yours would help us keep it relevant.
So, let me ask:  What is YOUR postion on all this?  What do YOU want from a union - if anything?