unions

So,

why would it be advantageous to be a union employee if the union system discourages you from advancement?

Case in point...

at the hotel we have classifications of cooks...cook 1 most qualified, highest base pay etc...cook 2 next in qualifications, base pay etc...cook 3 etc...

So based on the union contract a person is more senior in his/her classification than in overall classification. Therefore if I have a shift that is normally worked by a cook 2, then I have to give it to a cook 2; even if that cook 2 is less qualified as a cook than the cook 1. i.e. a station on the line that is normally filled by a cook 2 must be filled by a cook 2 unless that person is unqualified for the position. And technically, if a person has been 'trained' on the station than they are qualified to work it. So even if they have only worked the station one day, they get seniority of schedule over a cook 1 who might have worked that station for a year in the past.

So it makes the employees want to stay on their current qualification rather than try to bump up to the next skill level therefore maintaining their schedule and not working towards promotion. If you bump up a qualification then you become the cook with the least seniority on that qualification rather than more seniority than the cooks in the qualification below you. Therefore you get less shifts and less choice of when to work or what stations you can work.

Yes the base pay might be a dollar or so more than the next lower qualification, but, if you have been working that gig for 2 years or more it negates the difference. Therefore promoting the embedding of employees.

Just another reason that I think the unions are a) out of touch, and b) not good for the employees....yes in the past maybe...but now, not so much.