NPUA

[HenryBlack]

1. Techs accept jobs wherever they can get them because they have bills to pay and need more than Minimum wage to pay them. Up until this week there were fewer choices  and even with the Spectrum contract there are still few choices. It's good that Spectrum has a high paying contract with the NPUA backing; however with 59 slots that are pretty much filled already that leaves about 99% of the techs out in the cold with no other choice. Work where you can or be homeless.
2. Same as answer to 1.
3. Same as answer to 1.
4. Same as answer to 1.

  This is ABSOLUTELTY NOT TRUE.  There have been PLENTY of choices this summer and there still are.  There are OTHER choices & techs do not have to be left out in the cold or be homeless neither.
  Remember all out there who read this.  Like I've REPEATEDLY said before; this is not so much about the union as it is to NOT SUPPORT employers who will support change and start treating us all as skilled or professional workers.  Just like any other skilled trade.  The NPUA & Spectrum just happen to be the first to step up to the plate and bat for us.  So WHY NOT support them first?
  There are a ton of jobs out there right now paying seniors anywhere from 30.00-38.00/hr and 80-180/day with benefits!  And these are not with either bartlett nor atlantic.  I know because I have been contacted by almost all of them and I've networked for the rest starting back in May.  There are too many examples to list here & I'm sure ANY true road tech worth his/her salt know about these also because even while gainfully employed, you ALWAYS have your ear to the ground prospecting for your next job (if you want/need one that is).

In an attempt to "Not beat a dead horse" I am only going to say that what I said is true for most Techs. Yes I know about all the other jobs out there paying more, because i do keep my ear to the ground listening for a gold mine to come along. However if you add all those other jobs to the 59 positions that Spectrum has, and filled them all, there will still be Techs working for less that they are worth. I believe anyone working for less than they are worth is doing it because they have bills to pay.

I too have been a union member and shop steward before so I know how unions work. I am pro union all the way; however, with just one company and one contract  it is going to be a long time before it benefits very many techs.

One last thing then I am getting off this soap box, on the posts that I have read here about the union it seems that most posters use  NPUA and Spectrum as they are one entity. I believe when talking about union business that Spectrum should not be mentioned unless someone wants to know which company has a contract with The NPUA. Then it won't seem that NPUA is the one staffing a job.

[RDTroja]

 Like you Marssim, I'm not picking a fight either .  But it does sound like you are whining a lot though.
 You know, if you spent half as much time supporting ANY entity that will benefit your quality of life as you do complaining about issues (deconner & jr pay), that will probably never affect you for the rest of your life, you would be a great benefit to your fellow RP techs.
 As it is, you sound like (and yes, I could be wrong), one of the reasons ALL RP techs do NOT enjoy the quality of life enjoyed by other professionals/skilled workers in similar lines of work.
 So why don't you just stop worrying, complaining, & commenting on it?  I mean if you are against an increase in all of your fellow techs' way of life, why don't you just say so?
 I'll be the first to admit that the NPUA/Spectrum deal may not be perfect, but NOTHING IS - is it?  Can you name me any union or company (related to our field of course), that is?  I'd like to hear about it.  Just like this isn't the perfect country on Earth, but damn sure if it isn't the best one there is.  So if your looking for perfection, that's fine.  Just go somewhere else and find it because I admit that it isn't here.
 With due respect...
P.S.  I'm still waiting for anyone to answer my questions  :O)

You ever sell used cars?

I have to agree with the others who have pointed out that it is entirely disingenuous (more help with your vocabulary, mutant) to make a claim that you are not trying to start a fight and then insult the person with whom you are not trying to start that fight.

I don't currently have a dog in this fight because of the job I have right now, but I recognize the distinct possibility that I may be back in the RP pool one day. With that in mind, I am very interested to make sure that the contract RP industry remains healthy in my absence and I would very much like to see the rates be more in line with what other skilled craft make. The problem with the NPUA is the same problem we have had many times before: so far there are a lot of promises and even a glimmer of hope, but there is no track record to measure against the promises. The other times this has happened in the last 35 or so years, the results were a big fizzle. There have been occasional big number outages for a few people followed by a deafening silence. If you are looking for support, you are fighting history. This is not to say it won't or can't work, just that most of us are jaded by past experiences with unions that all made the same promises. You are asking a group of people that have been bitten before for trust that has not yet been earned.

I hope it goes well. I hope there are more jobs to follow and that eventually all outages are paying a fair price. I can't say I have any faith yet and there is certainly no hard evidence so far. But there is hope... hmmm, where have I heard that before?

I don't know you or any of the organizers or supporters of the union personally, so I have to make judgments on incomplete data and trust. Sorry, but that comes hard to someone that has been around for the last couple of decades. Frankly your combative approach has not helped much. I do know BeerCourt personally and I trust his opinion more than yours (naturally) and tend to take his side of an argument more often than not (although we have disagreed on the forum occasionally.) Most of the people on Nukeworker have read his posts and know he actually takes time to think about issues and measure his response. Dismissing his opinion and questioning his background are significant errors if you are looking for any credibility. (I also know quite a bit about his background, having worked with him over 20 years ago.)

As I said before, I wish the NPUA luck. But more than luck, they need good PR. Several outages where they come through on their promises will go a long way toward that PR. Arguing with people and starting fights (particularly ones you claim to want to avoid) will not.

[Rennhack]

I don't know you or any of the organizers or supporters of the union personally, so I have to make judgments on incomplete data and trust. Sorry, but that comes hard to someone that has been around for the last couple of decades. Frankly your combative approach has not helped much. I do know BeerCourt personally and I trust his opinion more than yours (naturally) and tend to take his side of an argument more often than not (although we have disagreed on the forum occasionally.) Most of the people on Nukeworker have read his posts and know he actually takes time to think about issues and measure his response. Dismissing his opinion and questioning his background are significant errors if you are looking for any credibility. (I also know quite a bit about his background, having worked with him over 20 years ago.)

Well Said Roger.

[HenryBlack]

Strong, straight, truthful reply Henry (may I call you Henry? we've never met). If you're paynig dues I would expect you to get an answer from the NPUA quicker than three days. If you're not paying dues, I dunno.

(sic)

Yes Sir, you may call me Henry. I am not a paying member but the webpage said expect a reply in 2 to 3 days. I still haven't got a reply; not that it matters anymore. I have seen enough here to answer my question. Thanks for reading and posting.

[Already Gone]

Okay, can I ask another dumb question?  I see on the "other" site that Spectrum is still posting for techs at the one outage where they have 59 slots paying "up to" $40/hr.  The most recent time stamp on that posting is yesterday.
So here's the question.  Why?

[Rennhack]

Okay, can I ask another dumb question?  I see on the "other" site that Spectrum is still posting for techs at the one outage where they have 59 slots paying "up to" $40/hr.  The most recent time stamp on that posting is yesterday.
So here's the question.  Why?

And why not post here?  Where all the Rad Techs hang out?

[MeterSwangin]

What a sad thread.

Five years and you all either have house jobs, or are greeting at Walmart. 

"Remember when Kevin promised $40/hr, 3 in - 3 out, travel pay, govt diem, meals, women...?  And we jerked each other on Nukeworker about how important we all thought we were?  What happened?  Now they do 20 day outages with all house resources and electronic coverage."

Supersize that, sir?

There is a lot of denial in this forum.  The industry trend away from costly semi-skilled travelers is crystal clear. 

[MeterSwangin]

Few posters ID themselves as house or travelers, union or non-union, so I may be wrong, but it appears that union house techs are ambivalent on the subject of represented travelers.  Have the unions that represent house employees been silent on the NPUA or have they thrown their support (potentially considerable support) behind the effort to organize travelers?   It seems that the house unions would be thrilled if the health and welfare of their members were in the hands of fellow union workers instead of the dreaded 'scab' techs.

By the way...at the moment I am a non-union traveler.

House unions are dying dinosaurs.  Membership is drying up, bargaining power flacid, leadership in survival mode.  Our utility has 12,000 employees....fewer than 2500 are represented.  Think the unions give a crap about a few dozen RP travelers showing up a few weeks a year for outages?  Too worried about losing their parking spots....

[Already Gone]

Isn't that in itself a dumb question?  Smile, you know that is funny!

Why are they still posting Sr. slots at Wolf Creek?  That's easier to answer than a plane source question.  They are still posting because they still have slots open.  The tougher question, kind of like a decay formula, would be why do they still have slots available.

Yeah, I'm smiling.

I'm not sure that you came up with the definitive answer.
It could be that they have no slots open and are just mining for more resumes.
Could it be that this union has fewer than 59 members?  It would seem so.

But, if you are right, there could be several possible answers to your question.
Maybe (and this is not a big maybe) all the $45, $40, and $38 slots are filled and all they have left are the $35, $30 and $25 slots to fill.  You can almost hear that canyon cracking open in the ranks.  There WILL be seasoned veteran RP's offered the lower rate jobs and resenting the ones with less ability who are hanging lead for $45/hr.  Or, they'll just go with Absolute, who is offering $41 for ALARA and $36 for Sr. RP's with 3 yrs. experience.  Or, they will find that Aerotek, Shaw, and possibly a few others have entered the game this fall.

It appears that things have come to a head.  With DOE grabbing up techs., and almost all the outages scheduled to be at the same time, there will be a shortage of RP's for a couple of weeks this fall.  This alone has driven the increase in rates.  NPUA/Spectrum is merely playing one hand in a game where the stakes have been raised.  There will be a new hand dealt in the spring.  There will be another after that.

Undoubtedly, someone is going to take the credit for getting the wages and per diem up this far, and maybe they deserve at least part of it.  It remains to be seen if they, or anyone else, can get enough chips to buy the pot from here on.

[Brett LaVigne]

There is a lot of denial in this forum.  The industry trend away from costly semi-skilled travelers is crystal clear. 

Ever feel like the rest of the crowd isn't listening to you? Wonder Why? I have a pretty good idea why, at least I am semi-sure.

[Camella Black]

Yeah, I'm smiling.

I'm not sure that you came up with the definitive answer.
It could be that they have no slots open and are just mining for more resumes.
Could it be that this union has fewer than 59 members?  It would seem so.
But, if you are right, there could be several possible answers to your question.
Maybe (and this is not a big maybe) all the $45, $40, and $38 slots are filled and all they have left are the $35, $30 and $25 slots to fill.  You can almost hear that canyon cracking open in the ranks.  There WILL be seasoned veteran RP's offered the lower rate jobs and resenting the ones with less ability who are hanging lead for $45/hr.  Or, they'll just go with Absolute, who is offering $41 for ALARA and $36 for Sr. RP's with 3 yrs. experience.  Or, they will find that Aerotek, Shaw, and possibly a few others have entered the game this fall.

It appears that things have come to a head.  With DOE grabbing up techs., and almost all the outages scheduled to be at the same time, there will be a shortage of RP's for a couple of weeks this fall.  This alone has driven the increase in rates.  NPUA/Spectrum is merely playing one hand in a game where the stakes have been raised.  There will be a new hand dealt in the spring.  There will be another after that.

Undoubtedly, someone is going to take the credit for getting the wages and per diem up this far, and maybe they deserve at least part of it.  It remains to be seen if they, or anyone else, can get enough chips to buy the pot from here on.

I called Spectrum and asked whether you had to be a member of the union to be submitted and was told that while Spectrum was not a union company that they were only taking union resumes; they then asked if I wanted to speak to Kevin about joining the union.

[Already Gone]

Okay, now I'm curious about that.
When they asked if you wanted to speak to Kevin, was there any reason for you to believe that he was perhaps in the same office?  I mean, did they give you a phone number for him, or did it seem that they were going to put him on the phone right there?

[11 for 12]

Maybe im missing something here ,but what difference does it make if he was in the same room or somewhere else? I mean does it really make a difference for you where he is at? He could be answering call for the Npua anywhere who cares? Just an opinion and why is it such a big deal to you?

Okay, now I'm curious about that.
When they asked if you wanted to speak to Kevin, was there any reason for you to believe that he was perhaps in the same office?  I mean, did they give you a phone number for him, or did it seem that they were going to put him on the phone right there?

[Already Gone]

Okay, I'll let you in on my thoughts about this.

Realize please that I have nothing more than speculation and suspicion to go on.  But, the suspicion is that this union is a front for a company who is trying to bypass competition by taking a large part of the tech population off the market and waiting for the shortage to manifest itself in higher prices.

That may be a legitimate strategy.  But, the way they may be doing it could be a problem.

Here is what I see through my skeptical eyes:  The "union" (which is not affiliated with any national labor organization) is not behaving like a union.  They are making no attempt to organize the employees of the established companies in the field.  The current union leadership is not elected by the membership.  They advocate working for one company.  If the relationship between the union leadership and the company is too close, there will be a conflict of interest.  If they have any financial stake in this company, the conflict is unethical and possibly illegal.

Are these people really acting in the best interest of the members, or are they acting in the interest of the company?  The bells have been going off in my head for months now.  Nobody has offered any indication that this union would be willing to negotiate with any other company.   They offer the excuse that other companies aren't interested, but that doesn't make any difference.  It is the EMPLOYEES of those companies who should determine whether they wish to be represented by this union or not.  Instead of trying to organize these employees, they are just telling them to jump over to another company - a company that they may or may not have an ownership interest in.

A lot has been said in praise of the union leadership having made a large financial investment in this endeavor.  This sets off another alarm.  Why do people invest their own money?  To get a return on that investment.  How will this be realized?  Even if NPUA has no relationship with Spectrum whatsoever, there is still the question of the personal investment?  Will those who have put their own money at stake act in the interest of the membership, or will they act  in their own interest to protect and grow their personal investment?

I'll repeat that this is all speculation on my part, based on my suspicion.  Maybe it would all be answered if somebody would lay all the cards on the table.  What is the relationship between the NPUA leadership and the owners of Spectrum?  What efforts have been made to organize the employees of any other company, such as Bartlett or Atlantic?  Where is the financial backing for NPUA coming from, and who stands to benefit from it?  When will the NPUA membership be allowed to elect officers?  When will the membership be voting on the contract with Spectrum?

That is why it makes a difference to me where Kevin is sitting when he takes your call.

[desertdog]

Realize please that I have nothing more than speculation and suspicion to go on.  But, the suspicion is that this union is a front for a company who is trying to bypass competition by taking a large part of the tech population off the market and waiting for the shortage to manifest itself in higher prices.

Nobody has offered any indication that this union would be willing to negotiate with any other company.   

Hi BC,

I'd like to respond to one of your questions above. They are all good questions IMO.

To start let me say that I have not yet joined the NPUA but I was privy to much of what was going on early in the NPUA. Well before Spectrum became involved, Kevin travelled to Atlanta for the RPM's meeting. He was there to start a dialogue with the utilities and if possible to negotiate directly with them. While many expressed interest, the powers that be within the the HR and Legal Depts. of the utilities balked at the added 'responsibility'. It was then that he started pursuing the idea of going through a contract company. After a year or more of this, Spectrum was the only viable company with the contacts and contracts within the industry willing  to take up the torch with Kevin to improve the travelling techs benefits and wage package through the NPUA. There was another company willing to negotiate but they were deemed 'too radical' in their demands for wage rates.

I only say this to answer your question of whether the NPUA is a front to help this company. They both existed well before they started working together.

[Rennhack]

I only say this to answer your question of whether the NPUA is a front to help this company. They both existed well before they started working together.

Thank you for sharing.  This is good information.

[Already Gone]

Thanks.  This sheds some light on the situation.  It also eliminates the suspicion of false dealings and financial impropriety.

However, it does leave me concerned that Kevin did this EXACTLY BACKWARDS.  He tried to g through the utitlities and then through a contract company.  He should have been going through the techs.  You don't form a union by lining up with a company and recruiting members/employees.  You form a union by recruiting members from among the employees of existing companies and using the power of unity to force the companies to negotiate.

What you have here is NPUA/Spectrum as one entity which bargains for contracts without the input or approval of the membership and then offers the deal to prospective members/employees as a take-it-or-leave-it option.

What you have here is not a union.  You have a company that collects dues from its employees in return for which it gives them practically NO opportunity to earn higher wages.

It isn't criminal.  It's just not a union.  Period.

[Longtime Nuke]

Has Spectrum/NPUA actually PLACED anybody at Wolf Creek under this backup contract?

[northstardjn]

This is the first time I have posted on Nukeworker.

I've read most, but not all, of the comments posted, and I'd like to point out a couple of things.

First, the intent of the NPUA was, and I hope is, to entice utilities into hiring techs direct, as Diablo does.  It was not to start up another company or to be just another body shop.  It had adapted because utilities are not geared to hiring direct, and such a shift in practices will take time.

Second, the NPUA is also interested in raising the quality of technician.  When I got into the biz, back in 1980, no one would even have considered giving a senior tech a test to see if he/she could read a meter and the techs I worked with, Beercourt among them (Beircort, I think) could all perform decay calcs, shielding calcs, cpm/dpm conversions.  All that stuff.  Those days are gone.  The NPUA would like to bring them back.

Third, I have supported the NPUA because they are not just about seniority, or if they are, I will withdraw my support.   Unions have a bad name because they support the lazy and incompetent.  The NPUA has printed a Standard of Excellence.  This is what they are telling me they expect my behavior and actions to reflect.  My expectation of the NPUA, and I have talked to Kevin about this, is the NPUA will enforce those standards, and will remove anyone from the rolls who will not conform to those standards.  That is one reason why the NPUA did not go to the IBEW, Teamsters, etc.  Internationals don't support their printed standards.  Anyone who worked Nine Mile or any Commonwealth Edison plant in the Eighties could tell you that.

Fourth, when I got in, not only did we get paid mileage, we got a days per diem and a days pay for travel.  Which makes sense.  You get  to the site the day before.  You're already piling up hotel bills.  You should get paid for it.  Just as we should all get paid for tolls, food and lodging while we travel.

As to contract companies and the NPUA, think about it.  If there were a standard wage throughout the industry, those that get the contracts would be those who ran the leanest (less overhead). Bartlett seems to have a rather high maintenance bill.  I don't know what Atlantic's is, but those companies would have to cut costs and be competitive with each other.  They would not be able to bid a contract on how low they could drive technician pay, nor would they be able to intimidate techs by threatening to put them on the bottom of the work list. 

Those of you who take the defeatist attitude that this will never work are indulging in circular logic and self-defeating thought processes.  It can work, and will work, if techs quit being self absorbed and, for once, work for their common good, as well as the good of the industry they are employed in. 

Finally, as has been mentioned, this will take sacrifice to get it started.  But, consider this:  All you really have to do to get higher wages raised is to not commit to an outage.  That's it.  It doesn't take a union per se, it just takes commitment and personal courage.  That's it.  I have a mortgage, car payments, and my wife doesn't work.  But committed to no one.  I've done it before.  The work will be there.  The required use of HPs will be there.   What the NPUA is doing is saying we deserve higher wages, but here is what you (utilities) will get in return:

Better techs

Higher standards.

Better, well run, more error free outages.

If anyone can come up with a logical, non-fearbased reason not to get onboard, I'd like to hear it.

[desertdog]

What you have here is not a union. 

It isn't criminal.  It's just not a union.  Period.

I argued for it to not be called a union. Not for the reasons you state only. I agree and I'm sure Kevin would also that this does not conform with the norms of a union.

If it was called an association I think it would more accurately describe what he has formed and would be less likely to scare off techs that would otherwise support it. I know the union dealings scared a lot of road people in the early nineties.

[Camella Black]

Okay, now I'm curious about that.
When they asked if you wanted to speak to Kevin, was there any reason for you to believe that he was perhaps in the same office?  I mean, did they give you a phone number for him, or did it seem that they were going to put him on the phone right there?

I was not told that Kevin was there. They only asked if I would like to speak to him.  I just told her no that I was inquiring for another party and that they would call back later.

[Already Gone]

You know what?  I think it is a good plan.  I think they should stop pretending to be a union and stick with their intended goals.

As you can tell by my rants, the posturing of NPUA as s union only causes confusion, skepticism, and (worst of all) resistance from those who are not politically inclined to support unions.

Scrap the dues.  Lose the union rhetoric.  Just call it what it is.  It is a venture to reshape the profession with higher standards for performance and pay.  To achieve that, they will have to tell some techs "you don't make the cut".

If it works - and there is no reason why it shouldn't as long as they adhere to those standards all around -God Bless 'em.  Many techs, including me, have been hoping for something like this to happen for years.  

While the other companies have been competing with lower cost, nobody has offered higher quality.  There is room in the industry for both.  The Diablo Canyon model that has been used extensively in this thread is as good as an example as you can get.  It costs more per technician hour to get the work done, but every tech who has gone there will tell you that the plant is getting better value for its money.  It is all a matter of value.  You all know I love analogies.  Try this one.  Go to Harbor Freight and buy a bunch of cheap tools.  Then try to get a major project completed with them.  After you have bought replacements for all the broken ones, and cussed like a sailor because they just make the job harder, you'll figure out why some folks just go and buy one set of good tools at Sears for three times the money.

Time will tell.  Let's see if they can stick to their guns with this.  If NPUA or Spectrum provides a better quality product to their customers, and maintains higher standards, they will last a long time, and I'll be in their corner.  

For now, put me in the fourth category along with mutant.

[Camella Black]

Third, I have supported the NPUA because they are not just about seniority, or if they are, I will withdraw my support.   Unions have a bad name because they support the lazy and incompetent.  The NPUA has printed a Standard of Excellence.  This is what they are telling me they expect my behavior and actions to reflect.  My expectation of the NPUA, and I have talked to Kevin about this, is the NPUA will enforce those standards, and will remove anyone from the rolls who will not conform to those standards.  That is one reason why the NPUA did not go to the IBEW, Teamsters, etc.  Internationals don't support their printed standards.  Anyone who worked Nine Mile or any Commonwealth Edison plant in the Eighties could tell you that.

The Code of Excellence defines ten areas of NPUA members' standards of conduct. In most cases, corrective action (discipline) is progressive, with penalties ranging from a warning to expulsion from the Union.

The Employers will apply the standards of conduct and their respective work rules in a fair and equitable manner. The following are prohibited activities and a worker who has been terminated for cause by his or her Employer for engaging in such activities shall be subject to appearance before the Code of Excellence Committee:

Excessive Tardiness or Absenteeism
Poor and Unprofessional Attitude and/or Appearance
Non-compliance with Employer/Customer Work Rules
Poor Workmanship or Productivity
Using "self-help" instead of the Grievance Procedure
Horseplay
Harassment of Co-Workers
Participation in, or instigating any type of Work Slowdown or Work Stoppage
Theft
Jobsite Violence

A Code of Excellence Committee will hereby be established for the exclusive and limited purpose of assessing corrective action associated with the prohibited conduct stated above. The Code of Excellence Committee shall assume the authority given it by the President of the NPUA. In addition, either party may request an individual be called before the Committee either in person or via electronic communication. The Committee shall have the authority to determine the individual's continued eligibility for referral.

The Code of Excellence Committee shall notify an individual of the time and place to appear in person or via electronic communication, following the most recent qualified termination for cause. An individual, who fails to appear, when requested for cause, will have his/her corrective action decided by the Committee in their absence, and will be notified of the outcome.

An individual may be called to appear before the Committee for the first termination for cause for any of the following:

(Note: Violations of numbers 1, 2 and 3 below may also result in Union discipline or expulsion)

Instigation of or participation in any type of work slowdown or work stoppage.
Theft.
Jobsite violence.
Harassment of co-workers.

The Code of Excellence Committee shall review all individuals who have been terminated for cause two times in a 12-month period with a mandatory appearance before the committee either in person or via electronic communication. In addition, the committee may issue the following:

The committee may require the individual to obtain further training before being eligible for referral, or they may refer the individual to the Executive Board for further evaluation and action;
The committee may disqualify the individual for referral for a specified period, depending on the seriousness of the conduct and/or repetitive nature of the conduct;
The committee may refer the individual to an employee assistance program;
The committee may restore the individual to his/her place on the referral list.

The Code of Excellence Committee shall consist of five members, three from the Executive Board appointed by the NPUA president and two from the NPUA membership appointed by the Executive Board. A majority decision of the Committee shall be final and binding on all parties.

Where possible Union discipline or expulsion is indicated, that can only occur pursuant to decisions by the Code of Excellence Committee, acting on proper charges filed in accordance with the worker fails to comply without good cause, the worker will be subject to further corrective action until achieving compliance.

(Retrieved August 30 2009 from http://www.npua.org/resource-center/code_of_excellence.htm)

I would like to know what would be considered unprofessional? Excessive jewelry, body piercings, tattoos, hairstyles, colors, weight?

I think I'll pose this question to the NPAU and get back to ya'll with an answer.

[Marlin]

   I don't mean to be too pessimistic but, I was a member of the HP CO-OP that did one job at Calvert Cliffs then fell apart because we got little or no support from fellow technicians even fellow members of the CO-OP. I lost a job due to my support for a union and my fellow technicians told me I should have known better. I have been on a picket line but the people who talked the loadest in support of a union in the break room did not show. I was the Executive Director for the Professional Radiation Protection Association (very similar to the NPUA in stated purpose) again technicians put their own self interest ahead of the interest of the whole. Whether it is the Oil Chemical and Atomic workers of the 70s the IBEW of the 80s and 90s or any other attempt to organize professionally or through a union my experience has been the same, lack of commitment from the technician community as a whole.
   Before anyone tries to rebut my statement with that was then and this is now, please tell me what has changed. Are technicians tighter today than before, I doubt it. I don't have a dog in this race as I have not swung a meter for many years, but if this is to succeed what is being done different and have you learned from the mistakes of the past.

[Rennhack]

I see MARLIN's, BEERCOURT's, and MARSSIM's singing the same tune.  Do you know what those three people have in common?  Here is a multiple choice test to help you:

A) Very smart, and rose to the top of their profession.
B) Have a great understanding of how the world really works.
C) Vast, diverse and extensive experience.
D) Ask questions so that they can make informed judgments.
E) Good people, and try to help others.
F) Used to swing a meter, and have moved on to better paying jobs.
G) All of the Above.

These are smart people trying to help you, you would be wise to listen to them.  They are not anti-union.  They are just smart, experienced, wise, and helpful people.  They don't have a dog in this hunt, nothing to gain or loose.  They are just trying to help others.

Listen to their questions and observations, and try to gain some wisdom and knowledge from their experience.

There is a book called "How people learn", you should read it (but you probably won't).