[Jewelry making - Article 01111] - Re: [Orchid] Should Goldsmiths Unionize/Organize

[David L. Huffman]

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Hello Gustavo;

    I think there would be some benefits to jewelers forming unions, like
    the potential for cheaper health care insurance by forming large
    membership groups and eventually better wages. Here in the U.S.,
    there were some jeweler's unions a few decades ago, but I haven't
    heard much abount them. I would encourage my employees to unionize if
    they thought it wouldn't be too much work and cost too much.  But it
    would be entirely up to them, and if they did join, so would I. Why?
    Because I don't think we're going to see the overseas industries that
    are resorting to deplorable labor practices, or those in this
    country, for that matter, change their ways until unions become
    prevalent and influential here and in the developed countries and can
    influence the trade laws so that unfair labor practices result in
    those industries being basically banned from the international
    marketplace. I'm not afraid of unions forcing me to pay my employees
    more. I will always struggle to pay my people all that I can, just as
    I will always work beside them at the bench. 

    But now there are few good paying jobs for jewelers and even fewer
    good jewelers to fill them. And I think this is partly the result of
    the wages being so low for so long, relative to the skill level
    required for the job. Nobody wants to work for ten years to learn
    something only to make less money than a teacher or a policeman,
    especially if they don't have the benefits. 20 years ago, we saw a
    lot of jewelers give up and switch to dental tech and other trades.
    Yes, a jeweler nowadays can make good money if he or she has top
    shelf skills, but the only people who get there have gone through 20
    years of low pay. 

    But there are two things that will need to happen before jewelers can
    have a good and strong union. First, they will need to require
    certification based on testing, as other trades do, and then tie it
    directly to licensing. J.A. has the certification process in place,
    but they probably aren't concerned about instituting any sort of
    licensing. This wouldn't serve their larger constituency, which is
    the retail industry. Well, it would in the long run, but the industry
    is not, shall I say, "visionary" at this time. It would be a daunting
    task, but it has happened in other trades. The second thing that
    unions would need to do is to commit themselves to working in a
    cooperative manner with retail and manufacturing to re-build the U.S.
    manufacturing and retail jewelry industry, helping the retailers
    regain their markets from the low-margin competitors and exploitive
    manufacturers here and abroad by working for fair trade legislation,
    unionizing in developing countries, providing grants to businesses
    willing to hire trainees, etc. 

    It's a known fact that unions once made industries strong in this
    country, whether they want to admit it or not. They couldn't wait to
    bust the unions, and the chickens are now coming home to roost. 

David L. Huffman

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