As someone who is not very familiar with labor unions in my personal life I have heard about it at my job. As an employee my managers have made comments on labor unions as if it was a bad thing to join as a worker. So, for this topic I thought it would be best to do research on it because I wanted to learn more about what labor unions are and how it works in the workplace. Furthermore, my research started with looking up data concerning union memberships on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics website. I learned that there are pros and cons to joining a union. I will start by explaining the pros of joining a union and the first one that is on the list is that unions provide worker protection. Worker protection in a union consists of making it easier for workers to handle disputes and complaints with management and other workers. Members, regardless of status, are able to use the processes to raise grievances. In some unions, members will see the organization subsidize legal fees on disputes related to discrimination and wrongful terminations (HR Exchange Network, 2018). Furthermore, the benefits of joining unions help the workers because unions are able to secure higher wages and better benefits. That said, unionized workers are not the only ones to benefit from this. Employers have also raised wages for non-unionized workers in order to compete for talent (HR E.N., 2018). Thus, the pros for employers when it comes to unions is that they have a stable and well-trained workforce. Unions often have their own programs to train employees in their trades, relieving employers from the cost of training inexperienced workers (HR E.N., 2018). Although unions seem great there are some disadvantages to unions such as workers who are bound by the decisions of the union even if they disagree with decisions. In some instances, the only way a unionized employee can get out of the situation is to resign, which isn’t always an option (HR E.N., 2018). Thus, this leads to another con of being part of a union which is Unions focus a lot on the seniority of the worker. This often translates into the lack of advancement for new and high performing employees to advance. Similarly, it is difficult to demote those employees who are not performing at high levels (HR E.N., 2018). As you can see my research shows that I am only informed on this topic based on the online research I have done. Personally, I do not know anyone who has had experience with a work union, so I can’t discuss anything on a personal level, but my research and this week’s learning material illustrates that unions are great for workers but not for employers.
My key take aways is that individuals in society will always want to feel important and have their needs satisfied. From what I learned from psychology class, Maslow believed that individuals are motivated to satisfy five levels of unmet needs (physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization). I would join a union because as someone who worked while going to school, I understand that some employers take advantage of workers who really need the job to survive. A labor union to me is an organized group of workers that bargains with employers to improve its members’ pay, job security, and working conditions. Thus, as a public health major I believe that people should have the right to express their concerns when it comes to their wellbeing which correlates to how they work and live their lives outside of the workplace. Work should always provide a service that gives every employee the opportunity to live comfortably.
Pros and Cons of Labor Unions | HR Exchange Network
