Why do companies that use union employees have the lowest quality products and services?

Question

I did the research. Look at the most reliable products, services and automobiles in Consumer Reports. Look at the customer satisfaction on services by “JD Power” and “Consumer Reports”.
A non-union company consistently beats any union company.

Japanese imports earned 39 of the 47 top reliability honors, while US. and European models scored well below average in this Consumer Reports study.

Answer 1

Well, if you DID the research, then put it up.

Answer 2

The United Auto Workers do not make the decisions of what to build, neither do they do the designing. You want to talk about crap, ask the executive management about their poor business decisions, not the working stiff. I have had the opportunity to work for two different unions and the quality of the workmanship was excellent. A non-union company consistently beats any union company in lower wages and probably no benefits. It isn't unions that are killing this country, it's the greed at the top. You are way off base with your statement.

Answer 3

Unions once served a useful purpose and still may, but they have become far too bureaucratic, as reflected in some of their 'rules':

An employee of an upscale clothing store asked a supplier why they shipped reject garments. The first thing that happened at the store was to inspect all garments closely and send back the rejects. She was told that union rules required them to NOT inspect before shipment.

At a refractory brick manufacturer a large physically fit male office worker had to wait for a plant worker to come and carry a box of paper from a closet to his workspace. He was not allowed to get it himself because carrying such things was a protected job. He said he really felt stupid, 6' 1" and walking beside a small woman carrying the box of paper. It took much longer than it should have, since she had to be summoned from the plant.

New York cemetary, once the casket reaches the cemetary no one is allowed to carry it but union workers. Members of the funeral party may walk alongside with a hand on the casket.

These aren't urban myths. The office worker was my brother, the deceased was my great uncle, and the clothing enquiry was made by an in-law. The bottom line is that when your job gets protected enough, all you have to do is put in time. Performance is irrelevant because there is neither reward nor penalty. This is why so many Soviet enterprises from farms to factories performed so poorly.

Answer 4

My husband is a very talented union brick mason in high demand, he's rarely out of work. I don't think that's because his work is shoddy. I'm relieved he's in a union for a number of reasons. He works out at the big oil refractories in Whiting, IN. It's a dangerous place to work, and safety issues are always at the forefront. Those that work above him are always trying to get around union rules and regulations. They couldn't care less if he's wearing a particle mask, but his union cares. They couldn't care less if he works a 16 hour shift and didn't get paid the right overtime or get proper breaks/lunches, his union cares though. They make sure he's properly equipped for his own safety. If it's a safety issue that benefits the company, then the company is gung ho about it. If it's a safety issue that protects him personally then the company doesn't show quite so much concern for it. He's got a boss right now that is irritated because my husband has a bum knee. He gets where he's going in plenty of time, is never late, and his work isn't suffering, but he had to get a special pass to park in handicapped, and they bitched about having to bother with it at all. Yesterday this fool made a comment in front of a bunch of guys that anyone with a handicap should be fired and live off the government, "regular folks" shouldn't have to bother with them. Unfortunately for him, a union steward was present and he's now got to answer for it and may lose his job. I hope he does. Sorry, but I grew up in a union family where many of our friends and neighbors worked in steel mills and oil refractories. I understand the value of unions.

Answer 5

It's due to an economic trade off for the companies. Because the company has to pay a higher wages to union employees, to be competetive in the marketplace the company needs to cut back on expenses elsewhere which sometimes reduces the quality of the goods made and sold by the company.

Answer 6

I believe that today quality is more a factor of the relationship between the company and its employees and an educated workforce than between union/non-union. The latter may have been true in the past, but not any longer.

Answer 7

I don't know what standards the unions expects of their workers, but as a non-union employee, I work hard to prove to my employer that I'm consistently worth keeping on the payroll... which includes the quality of product I produce.

Maybe union workers feel protected from the employer by the union-- "I can do a half-a-- job; the union will protect me..."

Just a thought...

Answer 8

possibly because union rules over-extend to cover incompetent employees with rights that keep them from being fired?

but I bet the employees at the union plant are much happier... which could increase the quality of some work...

but I'm hesitant to believe you... and frankly... I don't care enough to look it up... Unions aren't an issue where I live...

EDIT:
your gripe could be just as easily with American workmanship as it could be with unions... there are many more issues than just unions at play with American/european auto makers vs. Japanese auto makers...

there is nothing to prove that unions have anything to do with it... but you're anti-union, so you'll naturally jump to that conclusion...

Answer 9

As a rank & file union member for over 40 years, I'm not surprised.
Our Union Bosses are corrupt and controlled by the Democrat Party and Organized Crime.
But I always support our local union. They are good people. Used & Ubused.

Answer 10

Management along with research and development teams create the products and systems of manufacture, not the poor bloke on the assembly line.

Answer 11

After a quick search I found:

According to J.D. Power’s study of initial vehicle quality, UAW members build the top-ranked full-size pickup, the top-ranked full-size SUV and the top-ranked compact van.