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Signgirl....I'm not over paid. I barely make it by like the rest of the country. I too have been working my ass for for many years and did it for a long time for someone else. I made the choice. I went out on my own. I am a working owner. I do it ALL. I don't sit at my desk all day. I have actual work that I perform and any day you want to go head to head on skills, training, knowledge of the industry, or technical issues I'd love to. I'm not saying that you don't know the business but I'd like to clarify for you and all the other haters that union shops struggle just like non-union shops but it's the quality of work produced that keeps the customers coming back. Rigby, you are just a hater. You must not have anything to do but sit on your ass all day and play at your computer and think of ways that the world is unfair to you and must have done you wrong in some way. I didn't pull the info out of my ass about the UAW, and it is a dam shame, but do you think that this is the only industry that large corporations have totally screwed the American people with. I did work for McDonalds a few years ago and 80% of the product was coming from China. It was all crap but this was the deal the worlds largest fast food chain made so they could put their stores in there country. The unions made this happen, right??? How about thinking that american worker don't like to work but exspect to be paid to dollar for doing nothing. This isn't a union issue this is a lack of personnal pride that this country is coming to. It's the unions that have been recognizing this bad trend and trying to shift things back to american shops. We fight for this right to make our own product and keep it here in the US but so many non-union corporations don't feel thats cost effective. This is the unions fault to I guess. Go fishing. People, it's not the union or non-union shops that are bringing our country down. It's the lack of pride and professionalism that todays society has come complacent with excepting. I for one am not one of those people and work very hard to curve this attitude. I would hope that every shop, union or non-union, would start putting some pride back into there people and start bringing the country back up to speed. It's not just a one sided effort for this to happen and maybe some people need to stop living in the past and start focusing on the future or the next thing we'll kow is that we're all speaking something other than english. You all might want to take that issue up with your legislators because they are the ones that seem to feel it's a better deal to give a tax break to another country but keep screwing over it's own people. That's us for those of you that don't get it. Start standing up for yourselfs vises looking for exscuses why things aren't going your way. You don't have to be a union member to see this, you just need to recognize it, and not keep excepting it. Pleasure speaking with you all. Have a great day.

I don't post here much but had to chime in. I am located in Southern NJ, many of the unions have a tight grip in many industries here. But what makes me REALLY furious is when hurricane Sandy left a devastation from NJ up to the NY region. Volunteers came from many locations only to be turned away ( electricians ) since they did not have a union affiliation! See link below. WTF, seriously? Now tell me how this benefits us! People had their homes totally destroyed, no power, no heat, etc!!!! http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/02/new-jersey-town-to-ala-volunteer-utility-crew-dont-help-with-sandy-unless-youre-unionized/

People, lets get a realtity check on things. Everyone has the right to work and everyone has the right to choose who works for them. In the construction industry there isn't to many trades that still offer training and exsposure to the job and materials used, other than in a Union enviroment. There isn't one company that I know of, from accross the country, that offers a training program for their new installers / technicians other than in a Union enviroment. Most of the time it all about weather you have a license and can show up to work on time without still being all jacked up from the night before, and then they go from there. YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET. It all comes down to the mighty dollar and I've landed more work from supposedly Union shops that offered the same amount of quality as mine but fall way short because there putting non-union, unqualifed, untrained personnel out in the position of a qualified man and charging for it. THAT'S A DISCRACE TO ALL UNION SHOPS AS WELL AS TO THE INDUSTRY ITSELF. Don't claim what you can't back up, but keep trying to make it happen, I'll keep taking the work. I have aquatences from both sides of the industry and the quality can go eitherway but if a company puts a Union stamp on there name then there isn't any reason that you should stand for anything less then top notch. If they don't do that for you then move on. You don't have to stay with the same people if they aren't giving you what you want, but a price for that type of service does come with it. Certain areas of the county almost require Union representation for all there work, recognizing the quality and standards that do come with it, and not settling for less. The US goverment and most state and local agencies, in this region of the country, require or request Union representation for there work. So if that's what the governing bodies considier a quality of standard for there work then they must have a reason why. It's not all about how much a company makes on a job but also about the standard of living a person is guarenteed for doing a job. Most non-union shops don't offer paid leave or vacation with the amount of years you put into them. Most non-union shops don't cover there personnel and ALL of there family with medical, dental, and insurance programs at no cost to the employee. What makes one man any less or more than the other ??? Qualifications, dependablity, certifications, proper licensing....These are the THINGS and I'd love to know of a non-Union company that does all that for their employess. If you're going to be working within a Union area then suck it up and find you a good shop that will represent you and your customer with those standards. There is good shops from both ends of the industry but if you know that you have to have Union representation when you go into an area then plan accordingly. Put the money into the job and tell your customer that this is the way is has to be for things to go off without any hitches. Yes, it's a game, but you don't have to be a sucker you just have to be professional and know what you're looking for. I'm sorry for all of you who have gotten a bad deal with a Union job but shame on you for trying to go into a Union area and get away with it. "Proper planning produces a quality outcome but Piss poor planning produces Piss poor results". YES, I am a union employee as well as an owner. I feel very strong when it comes to standing behind the quaility of work my shop produces and conditions for my employees. I've worked both sides of the street and know what it's like to keep a business going or just keep a pay check coming in so don't tell me that you can't get things done appropriately wether it's in a union or non-union enviroment. Your people are the exstention of you and your standards so if they aren't getting the job done the way you want it then find someone else. Life is all about choices so make yours and live with it but that doesn't always mean that your stuck with it forever.