I chose to write about labor unions for my blog post this week, which especially as someone that works in the construction field, I felt that this was very applicable to my future career. In my research into the pros and cons of labor unions, I found that these unions greatly help the actual members of the unions, by providing them with resources, “better pay, benefits, and working conditions” as a result of the unions formation (Connett, 2023). This aligns well with what we have been learning in our lectures about labor unions, and from the experience that I have had both in my jobs and with family members who have been a part of labor unions. In one of the articles I read for this class, they outlined some less than excellent aspects of unions – for instance, one union’s defense of a clearly incapable teacher who passed out at school due to her alcoholism (Kristof, 2015). However, the author went on to say that even due to some occurrences like this one, unions overall contribute positively to our society and that the “labor movement has stood as the most prominent and effective voice for economic justice” in our work-driven culture (Kristof, 2015). I couldn’t agree more with this statement, especially after seeing the effects of the union decline.
My father was a welder for many years, and is now out of the field, working as an instructor at Clackamas Community College. I asked him about his experience with welder’s labor unions, and he agreed that it was very beneficial for him, especially as a father of two young children. We used to live in Florida, and in our area most jobs did not have high hourly pay or salaries, no matter what your job was. For him, joining the union meant that he didn’t have to work as many hours, and he was able to be healthier, more productive at work, and spend more time with his family due to the increase in benefits and compensation. When we lived in Portland, he started work at the shipyard and was also a part of a boilermakers labor union.
If I was working in the field (ie. as a laborer) I would definitely join a union! From the lectures and articles provided in this class, they seem to be a great fit for workers in ensuring that they get proper compensation and better benefits, which ultimately boosts our economy and helps families to prosper. My brother is an electrician and I have been encouraging him to join one for years, to no avail. Hopefully I can provide him with my research to help convince him.
References:
1. Connett, W. (2023, May 1). Are labor unions effective?. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0113/are-labor-unions-effective.aspx#:~:text=Labor%20unions%20benefit%20their%20members,term%20costs%20which%20decreases%20competitiveness.
2. Kristof, N. (2015, February 19). The cost of a decline in unions. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/nicholas-kristof-the-cost-of-a-decline-in-unions.html?smid=pl-share&_r=0
