Pros
Union protected (in a right to work state). Pay starts at 19$/hr with yearly raises. “Room to advance”, but it’s a path every person follows the same way, all seniority based (not on quality of work, work ethic, etc). As much overtime as you want (and plenty you don’t want). Offers insurance (not good, but it’s insurance). Work 3 on, off 3 is the regular schedule (with no overtime). Great job for someone with no education that desperately needs a job to support a family. After first year you get 2 weeks paid vacation (40 hour week, so really it’s 1.5 weeks vacation).
Cons
Avoiding talking about how poorly managed the company is: insurance is very expensive and covers very little. The promise of 15 days a month was a lie, you usually get mandatory overtime at least one day a week (36-48 hour average work week, with overtime it’s 60). 12 hour work days with only 30 minute lunch promises (breaks usually happen, but no guarantee). The environment has given a huge portion of workers respiratory illness and/or cancer after being here more than 5 years. Safety is supposedly a concern, but when employees recommend anything to help their safety, management ignores or laughs it off (or takes the idea and gets a raise). Our pension/retirement is 401k/stock based. No paid vacation first year if you start after March. Attendance is strict. Not allowed even 10 seconds past time (no grace period), and if you clock out past 7 minutes of your end time, that’s an attendance hit. There’s no excuses absence, no sick leave (paid or otherwise), but proudly says they comply with government regulated FMLA if you need unpaid time off for Illness. Missing 3 days starts your write ups, unable to move up in company for 12 months. After 5 missed days you are fired.