Union shop vs non union, heard a foreman say something that got me thinking

Was doing a line check on a 737 last Tuesday and overheard the lead tell a new hire that union guys only care about the clock and non union guys cut corners to save money. Both sides of that are way too simple. I've worked 9 years non union in Tulsa and saw plenty of guys rush a brake job to beat the schedule. But I also know union guys in Seattle who chain smoke in the break room while a tire pressure check waits. Is it really about the card, or just the culture at each specific shop? Curious if anyone else has seen both sides and noticed a real pattern.

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alex_coleman11d ago

Union guys only care about the clock" is the part that always gets me. I've seen union mechanics sit around for an hour then bust their ass for four straight when something actually needs fixing. The clock thing is more about protecting themselves from getting screwed by management, not about slacking. It's really just whoever runs the shop sets the tone, card or no card.