My Grandfather was president of his local in South Bend in the fifties. My dad was a Union member at STudebaker, My other grandfather and an uncle too.

When I bought my first commercial office building I had six unions upstairs. Electrical, Carpenters, iron workers. sheet metal workers, painters and plasterers and concrete and masons. I guess that may make 8 or some may be combined. I did not find a bully amongst them all. They were all intelligent (some more than others) consciencous representatives working to better their craft and their members.

The teamsters did things over the years that have given folks the idea that all union people are thugs. Shooting out windshields of trucks and perhaps more....the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa for example.

Most union leaders are honest folks.

The leadership though does come from the blue collar workforce so there aren't too many Rhodes scholars amongst them....and unions are up against some pretty tough business owners who don't want to give up any of their precious profit......so, to quote Turkish from Snatch...."What did you think they were going to do, tickle him to death? This is not tiddly winks here."

The leaders need to be tough to do their jobs.

I got along with them just fine and really never had any trouble with them.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.