The age old comparison/rivalry in the construction industry is Union vs Worms (non union). There is arguments for both sides of this but the fact is union workers are more protected from wrongful work conditions and employers taking advantage of them. Having worked in the industry as a non union I can agree there is more frequent/available work if you a non union but the pay is often not as good. Union representatives negotiate for higher pay, less overtime, and better/safer working conditions. As with anything there is moderation needed, when the union workers abuse their reps the misconception the workers are lazy comes about.

Pros

The biggest pros to being union include; guaranteed higher pay, more sick days, much better retirement “Only two-thirds of nonunion workers have health insurance from work compared with 94% of union workers. And, 86% of unionized workers can take paid sick days to care for themselves or family members, compared with 72% of nonunion workers.” (UAW) This is disappointing to me it takes workers banding together and threats of strikes to negotiate something such as sick time to take care of themselves or family members but this is the unfortunate truth. I will attest to non union employees threatening workers for missing work for being sick and even using their accrued PTO. A more secure retirement is something the union offers as well.

Would I be union?

I have never been union and there is no reason to with my career path (PM or Superintendent) However I must say if I was to stay a heavy equipment operator for life I would heavily consider going union. They are treated much more respectfully on job site and always receive top notch pay. Even if jobs have gaps between they can make a high amount on unemployment waiting for another job to start. On the other hand they are able to start a new job if they do not like the current employer for some reason. If someone non union gets fired it can be tough for them to find comparable pay elsewhere.

Sources:

Why unions are so worried about right-to-work laws

Union vs. Nonunion in Today’s World: A Stark Difference

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mare.30506