Investigators should think about “unionizing” in mass no matter which Contact Company they work for, regardless of which Contracts they work, no matter whether they work full-time or part-time, and regardless of any other varied professional demographics.
This Industry is soo tiny (the number of Employees and Competitors does not even compare to mega international global companies like Walmart, Target, or Amazon, ect.) A move from Investigators and Investigative Support Staff in “unionizing” would definitely impact everyone, in a positive way.
The reason to “unionize” is simple and comes down to the bare basics no matter the job/industry…worker’s should be able to ensure and demand that they have equal and ethical worker’s rights and protections within an Industry in which every private Company is forced to comply with. Who doesn’t believe in a fair wage (equal or equivalent to that of your Govt Peers,) overtime rates that are supported by law across geographical State lines and not just given in States like California which require time and a half, a workload that is manageable, a system of career progression that values performance and experience over mediocrity, fair mileage reimbursement, supplies to complete the tasks, ect. This list goes on and on…
@tenaheff- On a side note, no one should be forced to do anything, ever, and no one is being told to do anything…merely conversation or a discussion topic.
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Maybe…a step in the right direction in support of Investigators and Investigative Support Staff…would create a new “company” that forms in this Industry. A Company with “Ownership” that has the motivation, dedication, and intent to ensure that the work, the people, and this Mission are supported as well as the Employees that work tirelessly. A Company that supports workers “unionizing” because worker’s rights are a necessity and a basic right in this Country. This work is not simple, it was never meant to be simple…it is however, very important.
There are too many unethical individuals that have moved from one Company to the next within this same Industry; they do the exact same thing and manage with disregard and are demeaning every single time. You can change the name of that company and their position titles a million times from Kroll to KeyPoint to Perspecta to Peraton…isn’t it still the exact same miserable mess? That’s just one company and one example, the list goes on.
Maybe the next Company to compete in this Industry will be formed by those of us with expertise and experience as actual Investigators and beyond, who have values but above all else…will maintain our integrity, honor, and tell the truth which certainly includes promises that are made & then backed up with real action (no more false statements spoken with inaction.) Maybe that new Company will also actively support, promote, and engage every single Investigator and Employee to hold a piece of that Company Ownership…resulting in shared profits, bonuses, cohesive bid awards, contract bids that contain realistic workloads, tools to complete the work, progressive training and professional growth opportunities, a collaborative focus on the work not quantity, and in general creates a “company culture” which rewards and treats everyone with respect. What good is a Company in which you have no active voice and the hierarchy is overloaded & layered with those who view themselves as “powerful” or worse “exempt” from accountability simply based on status & wealth? The same “powerful” people who believe they are better than their Employees that they continuously abuse them…is there anything good in that for us or even for this Industry, let alone the work?
In my time, there have been many companies and spin-offs that come and go. They are all led by the same people, maybe it’s time for change. There’s no reason why a new Company cannot be competitive and bid at the same table as Peraton, Omni (who at one point even lost this contract,) and CACI.