My uncle's union just saved his life.

[Snake Alchemist]

My uncle works for a major newspaper and is in a very powerful union. Over the last few weeks he has become very ill and was just diagnosed with a very serious, but treatable disease. He's been in the hospital for a little over a month, but thankfully he has excellent health insurance and 297 days of paid vacation (some that has been carried over) so he is not in any danger of bankruptcy and worse.

I spoke to him yesterday and his recovery is looking great.

[annabanana]

1. 99% of Amricans could benefit from union membership!. . . . n/t

[Joe the Revelator]

2. Nearly a year of paid vacation?

How did he pull that?

[Snake Alchemist]

3. He gets a lot per year, but I'm sure a lot of that is carried over from past years.

So if he gets 60 days a year, he may have carried over 15 from last year. Just multiply that over a few years.

[tk2kewl]

5. are you sure its vacation time that he has built up and not sick time

where i work we also carry over sick and vacation time. i don't carry vacation time over much but sick time builds up over the years and can really be handy if one were to become incapacitated like your uncle.

we even provide a mechanism for people to donate unused sick time into a bank so that others who need it for long term illnesses may use it

[Snake Alchemist]

7. No, it's vacation time. He's a fairly senior employee. Been there a long time.

I was supposed to meet him in Hawaii next month, but doctors won't let him travel.

[tk2kewl]

9. I hope he has a full recovery.

And he should definitely be taking more vacations, they're the best part of having a job

[Snake Alchemist]

10. Looking good, but was really scary there for a while. nt

[jschurchin]

4. Depending on your contract

Vacation can be carried over from year to year.

In my job, it is not permitted, but I know of other unions in my workplace who's contract permit sick leave to be carried over. I know one gentleman who has 250 sick days accumulated. When he retires he will receive almost a full years salery as a parting gift. Is this proper? I don't know. What I do know is that the company agreed to it so they must think it is fair.

[tk2kewl]

6. i think it is fair at the very least to allow the accumulation in case of illness

pay outs of accumulated sick time are not always dollar for dollar

[Snake Alchemist]

8. It's part of their contract, and is therefore fair. nt

[Ikonoklast]

11. It isn't up to anyone to decide what is 'proper' or 'fair' in a contractual agreement

except by the two parties involved.

If I was offered a chance to pitch for the NY Yankees for one year, and they offered me one dollar to join the team, I'd pack my bag in a minute.


I can't pitch anymore worth a damn, but I get to travel with the Yankees for an entire year.

Good deal for me.

[Bennyboy]

12. UNIONS: If everybody knew this, Everyone would be in one...

http://front.moveon.org/if-everyone-knew-this-astonishing-fact-about-unions-wed-all-be-in-one/?rc=fb.fan

[n2doc]

13. Except for the brainwashed morons who would say- Them union people is overpaid

I swear, 30% of Americans would turn down a Union job just because they have been taught it was bad. Or if they did take it, they would spend their off hours protesting Unions and voting for "right to work" politicians.

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. k&r

[ArtiChoke]

15. My union saved...

...my wife's life. She got $120k in treatment for Hodgkins disease. We pay about $4k/yr in premiums so after 30 years on the job we'll still be ahead of the game. And when I retire, my health insurance premiums will be paid for in large part (90%) from credit for accrued sick leave. They actually figure the credit by calculating an hourly wage from my highest salary and multiply that by my accrued sick leave hours (1500). My annual health insurance premium in retirement? About $400.