My workplace is voting on a union in two weeks, and we have an unusual amount of people we haven't talked to. It seems like a tossup at moment. I'm hopeful but not at all confident.
Management has officially been nice once the vote was triggered, but it seems a few of our workplace bullies who have carved out priveledged positions, and who don't show respect to other coworkers, have sided firmly on the anti-union side (I wonder why?) and are running around the store talking shit to everyone (and throwing in some transphobic bullshit while they are at it).
Some of them have showed up at our meetings to start sealioning and wasting people's time. Others are posting long screeds in the breakroom lying their asses off and basically acting on behalf of management.
After the first meeting I explained my experience and poured my heart out thinking they were there in good faith and I would be taken seriously, but of course not. Next meeting same fucking questions and pretending no one answered.
Some of it is continueing to ask for specifics we can't give, because it depends on the negotiating process and workplace surveys. All we can say is "It's up to us to decide that during negotiations". Is there a better answer we can give?
Has anybody else dealt with this shit? Any tips?
Our current plan is to not engage with them as as possible and kick them out of the next meeting if they show up.
If you're at the point where you're having public forum meetings where everyone can show up and ask questions, then you're at the point we're you should call out people for acting in poor behaviour. If someone asks a question at a meeting, gets a satisfactory answer and then shows up to ask the same question again next time, then you need to make it clear to the community that that person is not to be trusted.
You do this by engaging in the conflict and calling them out. Politely, but firmly. Optics are a fuck, but we live in a visual world, so you have to appear rational, but a rational person isn't one who yields all ground.
When such a question is asked you tell them that they very well know the answer to the question, since it was asked BY THEM at the last meeting. You refer to the minutes of the last meeting. You then ask why they are still asking the same question, what is it they wish to gain by doing so.
Bullies are only bullies because they get away with it. We are taught to turn the other cheek, buf if everyone does that, then there's no danger in slapping people. You gotta strike back. These people are typically cowards and would-be tyrants. They lash out and then retract when they finally realise the interaction will not go easy for them.
Also you go out into the company and do the same bullshit backstabbing court politics they do. Dimmer06 details that much better than I would be able to. Really hammer home the point about unions giving you the opportunity to participate democratically in how the workplace is run.