You guys make a few good points. My wording was entirely to generalized to myself and the occupational version pertaining to me.
Down south the deal with alot of these "right to work" outfits results in operators constantly out to backstab, lie, steal, they make each others existance at work difficult. Five guys stand around while one works. (not everywhere but in many places I've seen and worked, thats how it is).
In order to stay away from racial issues its fair to say that all those companies in the south heavily rely on immigrant (legal or not) workers for operators. The biggest problem I see is that the states fail to make that "union only" specification in the contracts. Of course we won't mention the fact that the asphalt overlay contracts I'm reffering to really aren't that much different in dollars and cents less then they are up north. Therefore, the contractors in the south make a killing. There are offsetting operating cost's as far as materials but their profit margins are alot higher in part to not having to pay operators ANY type of prevailing wage.
Prevailing wage in Florida to operate an asphalt mill is around $9 an hour. In New York state its over $30 an hour. As much as the comparison in living costs/standards is there, it does not equal out to fair at all. Not to mention the working environment.
But please do not feel I'm trying to be harsh, PLENTY of the same unfair work practices I saw down south, happened up north as well. Pretty all the work an asphalt mill does is public contract work as a sub for a paving company.
As stated a few times earlier, I have no complaint against unions, I appreciate they guarantee a decent wage up north. The poll should still favor the numbers of union workers across the USA in my opinion.