National Union for Opticians

[rdcoach5]

What do our leading Opticians think about a national union for opticians which would naturally lead to national licensure? To my knowledge this has never been tried.For this to work, lab opticians would also be included in a different category than dispensing opticians and so would a different category for contact lens dispensing opticians. Just like the other trades, there would be mandatory years of on-the-job training and after hours education followed by testing. Licensed states already have the basics in place for this and we need a national movement. There is no other reason that electricians make at least $10 more per hour on average than opticians. Thoughts?
Bob Taylor

[gemstone]

Can't happen. The trade is controlled locally. The local controllers will never relinquish their control.

[OPTIDONN]

I wouldn't be a big fan of having to join a union. I know that there used to be on here in the 70's (I think) but dissolved. I really can't picture it happening.

[Johns]

Unions are losing their power, as well as the relevence in every other industry. There's no way they'd even come close to making an impact in the optical industry.

[rep]

Aready have them in Washington State ( for a long time.)..

What do our leading Opticians think about a national union for opticians which would naturally lead to national licensure? To my knowledge this has never been tried.For this to work, lab opticians would also be included in a different category than dispensing opticians and so would a different category for contact lens dispensing opticians. Just like the other trades, there would be mandatory years of on-the-job training and after hours education followed by testing. Licensed states already have the basics in place for this and we need a national movement. There is no other reason that electricians make at least $10 more per hour on average than opticians. Thoughts?
Bob Taylor

Not a big influence on wages.

They are not the answer

Rep

[rbaker]

Labor unions would have nothing to do with national licensing. Each state establishes and enforces its own regulations for opticians, plumbers and Indian chiefs. If you want to see the impact of contemporary labor unions go to France or Italy. It has been tried, countless times. Someone overdoses on stupid pills and tries to start a union.

[Uncle Fester]

IMHO we'd need to hitch our horses to the Teamsters or another well established union. We also would need independants to be on board. This is a bridge to far IMHO.

[Diane]

A big whopping NOOOOO

I fought against unions in the 70's and would do so again. That is NOT the answer for having a voice. The voice must come from within, and unless enough of us use our OWN voice, we won't go forward.

Unions promise the sun and moon and don't even deliver a candle. Just take your lighters and matches and give you flint.

Diane

[Fezz]

Mee too

Unions are losing their power, as well as the relevence in every other industry. There's no way they'd even come close to making an impact in the optical industry.

Yeah, what Johns said.


:cheers::cheers::cheers:

[chip anderson]

Hey, could we also all join the Socialist Workers Party. Could we have divisions where only certian opticians could replace screws, others bend plastic, still others soldier. None of us would have to sweep the floor as that's another Union I'm sure. We could all "donate" out of our dues to the democratic party even if we personally are right wing republicans. If we our leaders find fault with the head man he could disappear.
Of course we would have a voting block that would claim to be anti-business. We could force suppliers to sell only Union Members!
We could get all kind of health and retirement benefits, so much so that the industry would cease to be profitable and move to China and Mexico (Oh, it already has hasn't it?).
Just think of the potential, of all the overtime pay, the politicians what claim to love us but actually fear us.
Let's all unionize today.

Chip

[cocoisland58]

IMHO we'd need to hitch our horses to the Teamsters or another well established union. We also would need independants to be on board. This is a bridge to far IMHO.

Some opticians are members of the Teamster's union. This was done to obtain the Teamster's contract and the UAW contracts many years ago.

[rdcoach5]

Hey, could we also all join the Socialist Workers Party. Could we have divisions where only certian opticians could replace screws, others bend plastic, still others soldier. None of us would have to sweep the floor as that's another Union I'm sure. We could all "donate" out of our dues to the democratic party even if we personally are right wing republicans. If we our leaders find fault with the head man he could disappear.
Of course we would have a voting block that would claim to be anti-business. We could force suppliers to sell only Union Members!
We could get all kind of health and retirement benefits, so much so that the industry would cease to be profitable and move to China and Mexico (Oh, it already has hasn't it?).
Just think of the potential, of all the overtime pay, the politicians what claim to love us but actually fear us.
Let's all unionize today.

Chip

This is such a stupid reponse. You're talking about what happened to manufacturing. We are a service health care profession that cannot be outsouced unless they import opticians from China or somewhere. Are all the Plumbers, carpenters and electricians jobs in danger of moving to
Taiwan?

[OptiJim]

Unions did exist when there was more optical goods manufacturing (frames and lenses) in the U.S. Now since most of all that type of work is gone, the unions died out. Also, you compare the number of opticians to plumbers, electricians and contractors. There are WAY more plumbers, electricians and contractors than there are optical workers. Also, as Rbaker stated, each State regulates its own "health service" regulations. I doubt they are about to give that up. Anyway, good thought, just about 50 years too late. I just don't ever see it happening.

[chip anderson]

Encore:

That's why the frame and lens manufactureing are gone! I have seen dozens of manufactureing plants in my home state that were doing fine, had the highest wages in the industry already in furniture mfg, moble home mfg., aerospace mfg, etc., unionise and shortly the whole industry moved to another state or out of the country. As Fleetwood mobile holmes, and a host of others (behind closed doors of course) why they left Mississippi.

Chip

[Steve Machol]

And what have Eyecare Professionals and the Optical Industry 'media' been doing while thousands of American jobs were slashed and relocated to cheap foreign labor?

Who has protested this with your vendors?

Who has supported vendors that have kept American jobs instead of outsourcing them?

Which 'media' outlets have reported on the devasting impact this outsourcing has had on thousands of American families, including my own? Where was the real news reporting on this?

If you think that the answer is we should always gravitate to the lowest cost manufacturing spots, then welcome to WallyWorld. Your part of the problem.