Can employers do this?

[welsummerchicks]

It's kind of sad, we have advanced in many areas, but a company still has the ability to force people to work overtime, and put Glengary-Glenn-Ross type 'incentives' on them.

 

[birdsNbeesNseeds]

OSHA covers safety and health complaints.

Wage and Hour covers.... well, wage and hour (pay and time) type issues.

Both are under the Department of Labor.

In some states the State will run the programs.

Illinois is a Fed state with OSHA, but not sure about Wage and hour.

Ewesheep, PM me if you want to learn more about this....

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
The union statements, if you can prove it, is the only thing that they are doing that is ILLEGAL. Other then that, an employer can do what ever they want.

Yup I agree with HHF. Can't threaten anybody for talking about organizing a union. I've been a supervisor in a shop like that. Walking in the door I never knew if we were going to have an 8 hour day or an 18 hour day. Unless it is an emergency no personal phone calls unless on break/lunch and never on the company phone. Our company paid well, average hourly wage being 14-15$ for general warehouse. I had literally 150 apps on my desk at all times. If folks couldn't keep up with me, I'd find somebody who could one way or another. Because, I had to put in the same hours they did.. And we did sheet metal, small parts, furnaces and boilers. We used all manner of heavy machinery and it was 120 degrees in the summer and 40 degrees in the winter. I was there till the business was sold and liquidated.

 

[PineappleMama]

^The Jungle. *shudder* Definitely needed unions back then, not just to protect the workers but to improve things so the customers were safe buying the product...

Hmm come to think of it, we can't even say we're safe buying meat nowadays... eek.

I swear sometimes it seems like the unions really would rather see the entire company just close down and everyone be unemployed than to accept a MERE $17/hr (or whatever)... and that's on top of all the insurance, retirement, yada too. That's an amazing amount of stuff that many would be thrilled to have... and yet they feel put upon, or rather the union tells them they are. If they didn't feel that way, were happy with their pay and such, then the union wouldn't have any reason to exist... and of course they can't let THAT happen.

And then on the other side the company would rather see their customers stuck than to cave in to that pressure and give them the extra $1/hour they're demanding.

In FIL's business... it'd be a disaster. Last year he took home less than his lowest paid workers. If he'd been ordered to pay them all $1/hr more (yes they're already over min. wage, have insurance, 1-2 weeks PAID vacation, lunch and often breakfast provided free)... 40 regular hours + 20 OT hours... end up being another $70/wk... times three employees... $210/wk... so... for them to get that $1 raise they just have to have... they'd gross 630/wk and he'd end up taking home ohhh... something like $290/wk for the 60 hours (or more) that he puts in. He does whatever he has to do to make payroll, take a loan, sell equipment, not take any pay himself (for weeks)... always has. He believes in paying a man what you agreed to for the work they've done. But if he was forced to give that raise... across the board... it'd make his personal finances go to hades for sure... he'd actually be better off, personally, if he shut the (now in it's 3rd generation) business down and just got a minimum wage job himself... and leave his employees with no work or fighting for that same min. wage job that he needs himself. So... everyone making $8/hr... but having guaranteed 60hrs pay... (not the owner having guaranteed pay, but the workers yes) and knowing that at any time if a better offer comes along they can take it... or business shutting down and five people scrambling to find any min wage job they can get? But that's all ONE business, and a pretty specific one, in a particular city and state... that same thing would not apply to other people/businesses. But seeing that first hand, seeing the actual numbers, the actual faces of the people... makes me think...

 

[redhen]

Yes.. a union WOULD rather see a company shut down then be non-union..
Hubby is in a union up here.. (again... good and bad stuff involved with unions..)
Trust me... some of the stuff they do.. eek!!...
They PAY guys to get hired in non-union shops and spy report back to them.. ... (they asked hubby to do this once... he wouldnt.... he has NO acting/sneaky ability... he'd go in there and blow it in 5 minutes..then get his butt kicked..

..)
They do this crazy investigating of the non-union shop owners.... heck....one guy even knew where the owner lived! They even went through the shops trash!
Could make a t.v. show out of the drama...

And when we were getting the union in the nursing home that i worked at... wow... those guys were ruthless..
they went on t.v .... they investigated the owner and got all his personal info.... etc... basically made his life hell until he folded...
Loved it... cause the guy was such a jerk..

Again... unions arent right for every job though...

 

[lorieMN]

Quote:
actually and unfortunatly,,this all sounds normal in a place of business like this..

 

[Julie08]

Wow, I cant imagine an employer requiring their employees to work 105 hours a week!! That is crazy on its own.

 

[akaxo]

wow, EVERYTHING that is described in the first post would be illegal here. i'm really sorry for what your husband and you and your family are going through, it sounds horrible.

 

[AussieAcres]

Quote:
An employer can do what they want, in all but a few states are there laws that protect the employee. I have researched this extensively, and even in Montana, where there is a law protecting employees, it is very hard to go up against the employer.

OSHA does not controll hours, the only reason truck drivers have to abide by hours worked, is because of special federal regulations. Very few workers are protected under these provisions.

Your only recourse in your situation, is to call the Labour Relations Board about the comments on being fired for attempting to form a union. Other then that, there is nothing you can do except look for different employment.

That's not entirely true. Don't get me wrong and think I am naive enough to think it doesn't happen, but Illinois does have laws in place regulating, not the hours, but days in a row an employee can be "forced" to work. It is known as the One Day Rest In Seven Act (820 ILCS 140/). Basically it is as it states, employees must be granted one 24 hour period of rest in 7 days of labor.

Also, I know the job market is tough EweSheep, I am not far from you and work in Champaign myself. That said, your hubby needs to look for new work. The pay he receives cannot be worth the stress it is putting both on him mentally and physically, let alone you, your relationship and peace in life. Over time a job like that will age you both much faster than need be.

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
OH now wouldn't that be interesting!?!? You should pitch that to the networks!
Course, the entertainment unions would probably kill it before a pilot ever launched... but still.