Labor unions seem to be a pretty controversial topic to people in the management world as people have strong opinions about their efficiency. People who are pro-union believe that unions are the basic building blocks of a strong working class; however, others believe that unions are too restrictive and hurt working class employees. When pondering on this, I decided to research the pros and cons of labor unions. A big pro I found was that unions provide workers with job protection. When working in a union you can’t simply be fired on the spot, there must be a specific reason and must go through arbitration or a grievance procedure before anyone is fired (HR Exchange Network). This also opens the door for employee concerns as employees can file concerns with their HR management at anytime. Unions are also known for higher wages and better benefits. This is set to help union workers as well as employers who have raised wages to compete for talent (HR Exchange Network). Lastly, political organization is easier in unions. Unions are able to amplify political causes the working class supports. This initiative helps louden the voice of working class Americans and creates clear political communication from workers right from the source. Some of the cons included in unions include discouraging individuality, harder to promote and terminate workers and unions driving up costs. A great person to interview about unions was my dad as he worked as a union worker for San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) for over 20 years. When telling me about his experience he told me he had a great experience with unions. He told me that his union was there to protect the worker and to give them support to fight for higher pay and better benefits. Overall he said that he didn’t regret working with a union as it gave him more benefits. When forming my own opinion about unions I believe they are a good form of helping American workers. They are there for the workers and help each company work more efficiently with their employees. If I was in the working field I would work with a company that is part of the union as I’ve seen first hand how helpful it could be to a worker and their family.
Citation
Stevenson, M. (2020, January 29). Pros and cons of labor unions. HR Exchange Network. https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/hr-compensation-benefits/articles/pros-and-cons-of-labor-unions.
