The readings this week helped me better understand why labor unions are so integral and how their decline affects workers, and the economy. In “The Cost of a Decline in Unions,” Kristof notes that unions were once a major driver behind the increase in wages, the reduction of inequality and protecting working-class families. He contends that as union membership has declined, income inequality has grown and workers have lost bargaining power. This segues with what we learned from class about how unions increase morale, reduce turnover, and allow workers a voice in workplace decisions.
In my reporting, I discovered unions provide clear advantages for workers: higher wages, improved benefits, job security and protection from unfair treatment. They can also be used to create a safer workplace free from obligation and discrimination. But there are also downsides, like dues and slower decision-making, as well as at times tense relations with management. Kasperkevic’s story about right-to-work laws taught me that unions fear these laws because they reduce their funding and influence, which in turn makes it more difficult for them to protect workers.
I spoke with a family friend who was in a union for decades. He said the union had helped him find good health care and to fight unfair scheduling. But he also said the dues seemed expensive in months when finances were tight. His experience mirrored what I saw in the reading’s unions get protection but also demand commitment.
According to what I’ve found, I would join a union if I worked in an industry with a lot of safety risks, that was particularly unfair to workers or where pay was inconsistent. I used to be pro-unionization also when employees didn’t have a voice and/or if management didn’t listen. In general, unions are still an important force in promoting fairness and protecting certainly it is not excessive to say they are the only way most working Americans have to fight for future prosperity.
Sources
Kristof, N. (2021). The Cost of a Decline in Unions.
Kasperkevic, J. (2017). Why Unions Are So Worried About Right-to-Work Laws.
Lecture: Labor Relations (Swift, 2025).