Advantages And Disadvantages Of Unionism

Labor unions were established as a way for workers’ needs and grievances to be heard by management. According to Fossum (2012), “forming a union creates a collective voice to influence change at work” (p. 7). The collective voice of workers in a union holds much more power than any single employee’s voice. It can loudly draw attention to mistreatment or abuse of workers. The organized collective voice of workers demands to be treated in a fair way by its management in terms of wages, hours, benefits, and working conditions.

The first step in order to become unionized, an organizing committee needs to be formed that represents all the workers that want to be unionized. The committee needs to be educated enough to share the about the union and possible anti-union campaigns set by management. The organizing committee also has to know the different structures in the workplace, basic employee information and the employers’ information (UE 1). Step two, the organizing committee has to set up campaigns in which they will collectively determine what the “issues” are and what employees demand from the union (Carrell 136). Step three, is without a doubt the most crucial step, it determines whether a union can even come in to bargain with an employer. The employees are asked to join the union and support the union with a union recognition strategy. This is usually done with card-check also known as a card- campaign is held in which more than 50% (sizable majority) have to sign agreeing to the union being their legal bargaining unit (Carrell 136, UE 1). Step four, the union bargains with management and hopefully a union contract is

The document outlines the pros and cons of labor unions in America. The analysis takes into consideration how unions have improved the working environments for workers, and may continue to do so. The paper considers the power of unions for net social benefit, including the role they play in lobbying lawmakers, using collective bargaining to advocate for employees, and the prevention of abuse and discrimination. The cons of labor unions are also addressed. These drawbacks to labor unions include but are not limited to: decline in competitive advantage for American companies, corruption, potential decrease in productivity, possible reduction in employee motivation, and increased inefficiencies.

Unions were formed for a good reason, to fight back and  get their rights they deserved. It was to make sure no one person was fighting alone. The Union was a good way for the workers to have a strong voice. Striking was the easiest way to try to make the company weak. The Great Strike of

Unions do provide a lot of good services to its members, such as higher wages, better hours, more benefits, and safer working conditions. There is a price to pay for these services, though. Every union requires its members to pay dues, whether they are in the form of a percentage of each paycheck, or a flat rate. The money form dues goes towards lobbying politicians to pass union-friendly legislation, or better labor laws. The money also finances officers in the union organization, who are the ones calling the shots, as far as labor negotiations are concerned.

Unions were created with the everyday worker in mind, an opposite to the previous mindset where the employer ruled his employee and the employee had no recourse. Unions helped pave the way for many of the current rights we have in place for American workers today; such as the length of the workday and weekly hours, child labor laws, minimum salary requirements, workers compensation and safe working conditions. With so much advancement in the American workforce because of Unions, it is interesting that there is a steady decline in Union membership in America. There are many factors that contribute to the decline, such as change in workforce, outsourcing jobs, right to work states, economic interests and political

Labor unions can be viewed as unjust and immoral because of the actions they choose to take against their employers and employees. Labor unions seem to help their employees on the outside but in the long run, end up preventing them from doing things individually. There are many other industries that have high paying wages without being in a union. I am

According to Dias, a union is an organization of employees that forms to negotiate or bargain with an employer (Dias, 2012). Unions are a part of our Nation’s history, allowing workers the power to negotiate wages, work hours, benefits, health and safety guidelines, training, and other work related issues, and helped to create todays labor standards. These standards include minimum wage, social security, eight-hour workday and weekends, overtime pay, the American with Disabilities Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Unions help to ensure fairness in the workplace and to give a diverse workforce an equal voice.

Labor unions have been around ever since the industrial revolution in Europe when working conditions in factories were very low. The concepts introduced in this time by the labor unions have become ingrained in our culture here in America. While workers benefit when they join a union by being able to fight for higher wages and better working conditions, these benefits that the unions get often “come at the expense of consumers, nonunion workers, the jobless, taxpayers, and owners of corporations” (Reynolds). Unions, while once playing a very beneficial role in history, are no longer all that necessary and may even be hurting all those outside of the union workers that they help.

Unions have a way of having pros and cons, which working in the union is either good or bad. Not everyone likes or supports the union, but there are those who demand to have a job in the union. Over the times of history, unions were very big but have started to decrease in time. If you work in a job setting that might be a manufacturing job or government job it’s good to have the union supporting you. You don’t always think the union will have your back but never underestimate that you job is secure, which having a union job or not, your chances of losing a job is always possible. After working in a position that was a union job, I can agree to some facts that the unions are good for representing you, but sometimes

In a unionized environment, employers exert their power mainly by working against union organizing. Their most important goal is to be union-free. Efforts to control organizational costs have also contributed to employer’s resistance to unions. The management may work towards sidelining union membership by designing work in such a way that it creates a work culture that increases employee commitment and job satisfaction. Employers use a variety of methods to refrain worker’s from organizing campaigns and unionize. Their efforts range from hiring consultants to distributing leaflets and letters to presenting the company’s viewpoint at meeting with employees. Some employers also

By being in a union you are guaranteed better wages, “The overall weekly income of full time wage and salary workers who were a part of a union in 2010 was $917, said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. People who aren't in a union, it was $717” (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Because of the changes the United States have undergone, the people who are a part of the union have the rights to demand higher wages; ones that they deserve. Labor unions cut down the amount of hours you have to work and to some people that is a negative thing, but in reality it's good because you get paid more money per hour. The decrease of work is beneficial because it allows the opportunity for more

Working is a necessity for life. Everyone has to work in some way to get money so they can live. With work being such a universal thing, there are bound to be some issues with it. Unions have come into question about whether they are necessary or not. In my opinion, unions should stay a part of the workplace. They tend to bring workers together to make their lives better at work. Unions have many ways to get what they want from companies, and negotiating is the most common practice. The main functions of unions are to help organize workers and bargain. With organization, workers can fight for better wages, hours, and conditions.

If unions are that beneficial to workers, why the increasing decline? Several reasons come into play. One issue being, there has been a rapid growth within particular categories, such as women. There are more women currently in the labor force, who are more prone to working sporadically and half the time compared to others. Secondly, there has been a decline in union’s actively engaging new members, as well as their being a steady increase in the employer’s unwillingness to take part in unionization attempts. Additionally, because society has shifted from unionized corporations with a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy has made it more difficult to unionize. Although, there have been uncontrollable and controllable forces that have led to the decreasing popularity of unions, they have still managed to make up for it in vital areas, such as wages, benefits, working conditions, and others. Whether or not individuals view labor unions as positive or negative organizations, they will always matter.

The relationship between unions and organization is a touchy one. Dating back to the start of unionization in the 19th century, the two bodies have held opposing viewpoints. Unionization was formed from the opinion that organizations took advantage of workers and some form of a negotiating agreement was needed. There were documented events of workers working long taxing hours for insignificant pay; no healthcare coverage; dangerous working conditions; and gender and or racial discrimination. Companies believed that unionization caused less productivity which endangered profits. Companies also believed that unions interfere in daily processes, and limits the employer’s say over compensation and benefits. The