Union members

[beauxyeux]

Does "union members" mean people living in the European community or people enrolled in unionism?
In the book there is just a hint to "union members" when the author speaks about colleges which accept to enroll:

people with little or no formal education, union members and in some circumstances ex-convicts.

I don't understand why these categories are put together. I can only guess that "union members" have to be treated differently from other people, why?
Thanks for helping

P.S. Perhaps it's better to say the book is set in the UK

 

[pescara]

Does "union members" means people living in the European community or people enrolled in unionism?
In the book there is just a hint to "union members" when the author speaks about colleges which accept to enroll:

people with little or no formal education, union members and in some circumstances ex-convicts.

I don't understand why these categories are put together. I can only guess that "union members" have to be treated differently from other people, why?
Thanks for helping

Union members refers to people who are enrolled in a labor union. I'm not sure why union members are included in this list. You can understand why it would be unusual for a college to accept ex-convicts or people with no formal education, but union members??? The only thing I can think of: the stereotype of union members is that they are blue collar workers who lack formal education (even though teachers and other professionals can also be union members).

I hope this helps.
Ciao.

 

[beauxyeux]

I'm not sure that in the Uk union members are the same as in the USA. As a matter of fact WR dictionary translates it as "membri dell'Unione" and I think it refers to "European Union". But the question is the same: perhaps they are put together with the other two categories because they are presumed not to know the language perfectly....

 

[pescara]

I'm not sure that in the Uk union members are the same as in the USA. As a matter of fact WR dictionary translates it as "membri dell'Unione" and I think it refers to "European Union". But the question is the same: perhaps they are put together with the other two categories because they are presumed not to know the language perfectly....

I should clarify: my response was from an American perspective. Union member might have a very different meaning in the UK.

 

[beauxyeux]

I should clarify: my response was from an American perspective. Union member might have a very different meaning in the UK.

Thank you very much... I've always to see it from both perspectives..... at least!

 

[Panpan]

It means trades union members (US: labor union). Some trades union in the UK have arrangements for their members to receive help with adult education, especially if it will help with career development. This was sometimes negotiated with education authorities, often with the support of the teaching unions.
(note for non-native English speakers: note plural form of 'trade union'; 'trades union', and not 'trade unions')
Panpan

 

[beauxyeux]

It means trades union members (US: labor union). Some trades union in the UK have arrangements for their members to receive help with adult education, especially if it will help with career development. This was sometimes negotiated with education authorities, often with the support of the teaching unions.
(note for non-native English speakers: note plural form of 'trade union'; 'trades union', and not 'trade unions')
Panpan

Ok, first question sorted out, however now I need to know if union members are just the people enrolled or the representatives?
In Italian we have:
sindacalista e iscritti ai sindacati.
Which of the two corresponds to union members?
Thanks a lot Panpan

P.s. just one curiosity: how does it come that on WR it's translated with membri dell'Unione?

 

[Panpan]

Ok, first question sorted out, however now I need to know if union members are just the people enrolled or the representatives?
P.s. just one curiosity: (how does it come that) (either: 'how come that' (idiomatic, informal), or 'how is it that') on WR it's translated with membri dell'Unione?

A union member is a person enrolled. Some of these may also be elected as representatives, but other people may be employed by the union e.g. as spokespeople or administrators (and they would usually be members of a different trades union).

With regards to the WR definition, this in my opinion is one possible correct translation, but as ever, it depends on context. If you refer to 'union members' in the context of the EU, I would understand you to mean the member states, i.e. the whole countries, Italy, France, Germany etc.

I was looking at this in the context of the entrance concessions offered by some UK colleges. If the college was offering a concession to foreign nationals of EU countries, I would expect them to be referred to as EU nationals, or EU citizens, for example 'EU citizens for whom English is not their first language' or 'EU nationals on an educational exchange'.

Panpan

 

[beauxyeux]

Thanks a lot for your very exhaustive explanation! And also for correcting my attempt to learn some idiomatic expressions....

 

[Einstein]

Concordo che "union members" sono iscritti al sindacato, qui mandati dalla loro organizzazione a studiare, forse con titolo di studio inferiore a quello normalmente richiesto.