[Jewelry making - Article 00310] - Re: [Orchid] Should Goldsmiths unionize/organize

[Linda Holmes-Rubin]

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To Nancie at Moonfishdesign--

    I know very well what unions have done in the past--my grandfather
    and father worked in coal mines and my grandfather died of black
    lung in the 1970's. My grandmother got nothing by the way, the union
    didn't protect her. My point is that jewelry making is a very
    different industry and these are very different times. For example,
    there is little or no creativity in being a miner and while you need
    some skills, they are those most can learn. Mining organizations are
    large, employ a lot of people, and require huge capital investments.
    And those that invest the capital must have a certain return that
    makes the risk worth it, otherwise they invest in something else. 
    Also, there is nothing special about coal, its a commodity. But
    like jewelry, coal is now part of a world market--it can now be
    mined and shipped cheaper than local production in some areas, which
    is why some mines have closed. These days, the very basic health
    and safety issues that unions fought for have been addressed by the
    government with OSHA rules, workmans' compensation, unemployment
    insurance, discrimination laws and EPA rules. 

    Jewelry making on the other hand, is usually done in comparatively
    small shops, does not require a huge capital investment, but does
    require some skill--a lot of skill for those who do it well. And
    creativity plays a big role in higher end products. There is also a
    wide variety in workplaces--in size, products and customers. The one
    aspect the industries share is that both have become world markets.
    Many have complained of cheap, mass produced products from foreign
    countries. Jewelry, being small and light, is very easy and cheap to
    ship. Hand labor, and even high level skills, are relatively cheap in
    many third-world countries. The pitifully low wage to you can be a
    good wage to someone whose choices are laborer or subsistence farmer.
    Paying US wages there is completely unrealistic--no one would do that
    because shipping costs would make the product more expensive than
    that made in the US. No one would buy, and the third world worker is
    back to laboring or farming. Selling in a first world market is his
    ticket to a better life. 

    Don't get me wrong, I understand the insecurity of someone in a
    changing industry. Most of my early career was in banking, which
    underwent wave after wave of consolidation and lay-offs in the
    1980's and 1990's. I went from $90K per year with full benefits to
    $285 per week unemployment and it was a massive shock. But I don't
    think unions are the answer today for the jewelry industry. There is
    too much competition on the low end. I think the answer is what many
    on the list have done--concentrate on the high end, use creativity to
    make products that are unique, tailored to the individual client.
    That really can't be done from afar. Most importantly, you need to
    educate and sell the public on the value of what you do. 

    This is where I think an organization can help--just not a union. A
    self-policing group that sets certain standards, offers training and
    testing, and most importantly, markets the value of these skills to
    the buying public can help sustain the industry. You need to sell the
    public on the value of the certification as a goldsmith, designer,
    gemologist or whatever. Explain what to look for, why it is better,
    and above all, sell the exclusivity, the creativity, the value, the
    emotional meaning of your product. Forget the cheap stuff and the
    cheap clients. Let Walmart sell them the stuff from China. Then, as
    the organization proves its value, it perhaps can get group insurance
    rates and other benefits for its members. But it can't do that until
    it proves value to customers. 

    That being said, its inevitable that some in the jewelry industry
    will lose their jobs because the high end market is much smaller and
    takes a level of skill not all can achieve. Sorry, but nothing in
    life is guaranteed. Make you living elsewhere and make jewelry for
    the joy of it, as a hobby. 

    Finally, I have a philosophical dislike of unions, even though I have
    been a member of them. I don't like being told what to do or not do.
    And unions are notorious for silly work rules and not wanting some to
    work harder and better and be rewarded over those that don't. To
    those who have said unions are voted in--that's true, but once in,
    all newcomers must join and must pay dues and watch their dues get
    used, for example, to support political ideas and parties with which
    they may not agree. They have no choice and decertifying a union is
    difficult and sometimes dangerous. Organized crime is not completely
    a thing of the past. 

Linda

Linda Holmes-Rubin
ForCapital Associates of Atlanta
Phone: 770-479-7837
Fax: 770-720-7555

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