For this blog post I would like to weigh in on some pros and cons of joining a labor union. Working on many construction sites the last few years, I have been around many different labor unions that subcontractors are a part of. I am working for a GC (general contractor) and we have to always take labor unions into thought when discussing which subcontractor we are hiring.
For labor unions, they have many pros and cons depending on your perspective. From a GC’s perspective, it can be a bit tedious when you are hiring different types of subs, for example, you might hire a mechanical sub that sets up water lines for fire sprinklers, but they are not allowed to actually put the fire sprinklers in and finish that scope of work, the GC would need to hire a fire protection sub because their union protects that kind of work, only a fire protection sub is allowed to install those.
For the sub, this situation is a great example on why unions are a great thing, they protect their workers. The fire protection and mechanical subs are both getting some work on this scope of work. Labor unions do a great job protecting their workers in situations like this, they keep their employees working which provides them with the compensation that they deserve for their hard work. In my opinion, if I was in the trades I would aim to be a part of a union to have a sense of security in the work that I am performing and to feel like my employer cares about my well-being.