I have complained to the union, and they said I can't do anything about it. In fact they don't understand why I'm complaining, since they are firm believers in seniority above all. The union is AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers). It only does one thing well, which is to keep the members from getting fired for cause when they screw up. It does not really address pay, benefits, layoffs, or working conditions. It is doing exactly what the members want it to do. It has an aging, poorly educated workforce who, though they are poorly paid, are still making much more than they could ever hope to make on the outside., so hanging on to their job is what they want above all.
In recent years, the newer members have been heavily recent immigrants from Haiti, Africa, and the Dominican Republic. The middle-level union officials- the gray-haired fat ladies with heavy Boston accents, and the Vietnam vets with their white-haired ponytails are freaked out by this, so you can't get a straight answer out of them, because they are so suspicious and confused by this.