Makesense: Perhaps my opinions are based on my experiences with YOU. I understand the environment under which you work, but also witness the benefits of working under such conditions. But the concept that YOU are somehow noble in protecting ME is laughable. You are there to simply making a living in your chosen field.

As for your asertions as to my background, if you were as wise, educated, and experienced as you contend you are, you would have a better job. How is that for being realistic?

Suzy: I understand the trade outs involved in working in such an environment. Is it worth it? Yes, for some, no for others. Without the higher than average wage, not many would work in those places. We all make our choices and pay our prices.

BIGHORN--It's the ignorant theory that the "union" believes we are being treated as indentured servants that really makes you sound uneducated and just plain stupid. We believe we deserve a fair raise, mainly because we just plain earned it (look at our history at STP). Our company has not felt the impact of a recession or any economic distress nor has Matagorda County for the most part based on current statistics. The union workers at STP are the workers that are the ones in the field doing the dirty work. Our main job is protecting YOU the public. While you sit back and mock our work and speak without knowledge you might put some more thought into your words and your theories. We aren't being unrealistic. While you get an opinion just because you're an American, you should probably try to put some knowledge behind the words that just spew out of your mouth.

Bighorn
Union members know that those jobs pay more, and have better benefits, than most in the area. It comes to a point to where they have to decide if the risk is worth what they make, but they know that they cannot earn that kind of money anywhere else in this area, so they fight for what the job is worth, compared to other jobs that have less stress and danger.
My husband works at Alcoa and he's told me often that if the job didn't pay what it did, and offer the benefits that it did, he would have quit years ago and went back to the oilfield. The job he does is just not worth risking his life everyday, for less. It takes a certain mental toughness to work at breakneck speed for 12 hours and still retain the ability to work safely, under constantly changing conditions, and with caustic raining down on you sometimes, or the chance of high-pressure lines blowing up in your face at anytime. Men train for years out there and never completely learn the jobs, because every day is different and things come up that many have never seen before on a constant basis. They have to have an instinct to know how to handle those situations. Sometimes that instinct cannot be taught, so no, not just anyone can do those jobs.
Alcoa tried to open a plant in Mexico. It didn't last long because they couldn't train the people.
The people on here that always say that Unions members do nothing for their pay, should have to go work out there a one week and see if they think the same way.

It really is agrevating to hear and witness union employeees wine and complain as if they are forced into service. Last time I check, indentured servitude and slavery were illegal in this country.

Makesense and troof: Please enlighten the rest of us as to what the "other issues" are. Veiled suggestions are not facts.

It's amazing what a person can endure for the right amount of money! Makesense, that was spoken like a true union hand! Here's your sign...

sometimes common sense is real hard to come by.

You can train anyone to do a job as long as he is willing to work and has common sense.

makesense, you just described Alcoa. Most people think they can just step into those jobs too, but if they did, they would last a few days and be crying for mama, or start taking days off like a lot of the new hires are doing.

If just anybody off the streets could come in and run the plant to the level of excellence we do, then I'm sure Mr. Eller (who by the way has probably never been outside of his office) would be glad to hire you for $5.00 an hour. We are an educated workforce that does indeed know the risks of our environment and still choose to work and keep you the people complaing that we want a raise safe. We have all increased our workload as evidenced by the number of people who have retired, quit and/or passed away over the last few years and NEVER been replaced....we just keep picking up the slack and continue to allow the company to force more and more work on us without compensation. Those of you out there that ramble your opinions out without knowing ANY facts are the ones who will eventually pay for the lack of committment from STP management. On a side note...wages are only one of the many issues on the table...you wouldn't be so quick to run your mouth if you knew the other issues.

I don't have the answers because this I have been on both sides of the issues. I know that the unions help in a lot of things that never make the news like last year when a worker at the local aluminum plant suffered a fatal injury while doing his job due to the managments neglect. The company owned insurance denied the life insurance claim for his wife because he didn't die on the jobsite, it was in the emergency room. This is why the unions still have a place. I am just saying that as long as people are treated as expendable and it is accepted then it will never get better.

troof,
the extra money and benefits are to plan for probable health conditions later in life that make being employed almost impossible.
These companies use you up and then spit you out, not caring if you, or your family, make it in the future....after health fails.
Union jobs are a little better than non-union, because the Company is monitored by the Unions, but some things are necessary on certain jobs, which make total safety impossible.

Troof
O.K., you got me, so how much of a raise do you need to make your working conditions safer?

Mr. Eller, I'll take any 0ne of the jobs,been unemployed since April 09. Will be glad to work!!

TNT88 I would almost bet you are not the one doing the work but delegating it to others. I realize their are risks with every job but as those safety risks increase so should compensation. I will probably never get you to understand because I seriously doubt you have been on the recieving end. The plants I have worked in (some union and some non) have the mentality that it's easier to replace the employee than it is to address the issues. The risks faced by workers change all the time so at what point should it become unnacceptable to put people in situations that adversely affect their health?

Troof
You know the risk of the job when you hire out, then some union boss comes to you and say's, "let's protest these terrible conditions", and here we go. How long have these people been there not knowing their environment was unsafe? Give me a break..

How many of you think it's okay to put people in situations that adversely affect their health when it isn't nessecary? How much would it be worth to you? I have worked in a chemical plant where management told us everything was at accetable levels in our unit. A few years later the unit is shut down and entry is forbidden with warning signs everywhere because residue of the product that we made was enough to be considered a cancer risk. Do you honestly believe these companies care about the employees? It is all about the dollar with most and I believe workers should be compensated for the risks they have to face on a daily basis. I think this is even more true when the company is knowingly doing it. I'm sure I'll get some people hating on me for this comment but thats a natural response of those who haven't seen it first hand.

So is makesense.

unions still play an important role in this country

victorianbybirth,

you're confusing production (as in output) with work.

Makesense, following your logic, if production goes down, you would be okay with a decrease in pay?

Sorry, my last comment was for makesense...

I work in the energy sector, and let me tell you that the level of compensation verses work has dropped almost 50% from last year. If you are still making what you were making last year, then you should have no complaints! There are lot's of people in my line of work that are loosing everything. Across the board, there are many people that were use to a comfortable annual salary and are now below the poverty level, losing their homes, spending their kids college money, so if you don't have a mortgage company threatening to put you on the street, you need to shut up or give up your job! If you don't like it, there is the gate.

Mr. Eller,
Place a ad for hiring. The smallest one around. Tweet/facebook it even better. See what happens. Plenty of good folks unemployed that are willing to learn a job and support thier family.

we actually have increased production in the last couple of years and have seen nothing for it. The company wants us to dedicate our lives to them but refuses to give anything in return. Working at a nuclear power plant is not like working anywhere else in the world....we follow different rules even when we aren't at work and therefore should be compensated. It's the workers that make STP number one in the world...not the management team getting all the raises.

The Union, when it was first conceived,was good for the workers, but now it has gone way out of control. There are thousands of people that would gladly do any thing just for a steady check, and these crybaby's are complaining?? Look at G.M. and Chrysler, there is no one picketing there..

Let me get this right, when the economy is flat, zero inflation, the government annouceing that there will be no cost of living increase for the next two years for individuals on social secuirty retirement, the unemployment rate is highter than it has been since 1982, the workers are not increasing production, the workers are not being asked to do any additional task they have not done in prior years---Where is the justification for a raise.