Deb Takes on the Union -- again, and again and again, unfortunately

Unfortunately, my husband's workplace has unionized. I say unfortunately, because in this case, there was no need for a union. The administration had made some really stupid decisions, and people reacted in a panic and voted (barely) to organize. So, now, my husband, because of collective bargaining, is forced to be a part of a union he doesn't agree with. It's times like these where I just have say, "Isn't America a great land of freedom?"

So, he is a part of a union that is NOT advocating on his behalf, and probably never will. He will end up with less vacation, less of a pay increase if he gets promoted, and less sick days. If there are lay-offs he'll be one of the first to go -- because of his lack of seniority and the union. In addition to that, they get to take their union fees (so we can pay the salaries of their professional union members) out of his paycheck.

GO UNION!!!

Well, as if that wasn't bad enough, the union bullied its way to procuring a list of all of the library's employees -- a list with phone numbers and address etc. With a blatant disregard for the privacy of our families, some idiot judge agreed they had the right, so the library was forced to turn over the information.

Does any of this seem like it should even be legal? It's astounding to me that any one organization can function so outside of the parameters of freedom, and trounce on our privacy and get away with it.

That doesn't even start to portray the problem. Apparently all the unions combine information and then ASSUME that the spouse and family of the person on the list will want to support the union as well. As I told the woman in charge of my husband's union, that is sexism like I haven't heard in a long time -- to assume that just because my husband is a member, I'm of the same political position! You'd think that any thinking woman would be ashamed to be a member of an organization such as a union, but then again you'd think that any thinking woman would understand the concept of personal responsibility and not jump to the conclusion that collective bargaining is actually going to protect her job. But, I digress...

So, since this list was released, we have been getting an average of 2 calls a day from various unions, all supposing that I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon and donate my time and money to them. This was bad enough as it was, because if I say "no" then they just start asking why and an argument ensues and several minutes of my day are gone. But now, in light of the primaries, they are upping their calls to 3, sometimes 4 a day, and when I tell them not to call back, they totally disregard it and call back, sometimes with in an hour of the first phone call.

In addition to that, they have sent representatives to my door, asking for me (me, mind you, not my husband) by name to find out who I am planning on voting for, and to tell me who I should vote for since I'm "in the union." Interestingly enough, they always show up the evenings that he works late. So, they send some strange man to my home, when they know that my husband is at work, and he wants to talk to me about who I'm planning on voting for. How is this not harassment?

So, I'm about as fed up with the union as I can be, and its not even my union.

Anyone know a good lawyer?