Union Card vs. Nonunion Sole Proprietorship - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

paint_booger · 06-15-2007, 06:41 PM

I ran work for nonunion shops for 5 years, owned my own paint company for 10 years (grew it to 25 painters ... dismantled by a divorce), and had a Union Foreman job for the other 10 years

send_it_all · 06-15-2007, 07:52 PM

Obviously, you have more work opportunities with a non union shop...at least where Im from union doesn't do any residential work. You can also get away with paying your employees less and will have a much smaller labor burden. I dont see a whole bunch of upside to going union except for the occasional big job. I guess its a matter of how much of a market there is in each area, and how big do you want to get? More headaches with lots of employees.

daArch · 06-15-2007, 08:36 PM

All depends on your market. If you're in NYC and expect big jobs ...... well, is there a CHOICE ??

If you're in the boonies and doing residential ..... well, is there a CHOICE ??

Personally I've never appreciated the way unions dictate job performance and duties, If I want to unplug a light, dammit, I'm gonna unplug the damn light. If I want to apply more product than Union allows, then why can I not be as productive as possible. If I don't WANT a coffee break, why do I hafta take one ???

Unions, IMO, have become restrictive of performance and production. At a time they were good, but many have become counter productive. Sure, they have GREAT training programs, but still, there are down sides that I feel are against the American system of free enterprise.

BTW, someone informed yesterday that teachers are now UAW ???? How does THAT fit ???

(Flame away, Nomex suit on)

paint_booger · 06-15-2007, 08:54 PM

Very true, except for the 15% BS.

I like the insurance and pention.