Labor Unions

From what I have gathered from my research on labor unions and the effect of unionization in this country, I have found that there is heated debate regarding the effects that unions have on the country’s economic prosperity. The main arguments against unionization are that they “bring corruption, nepotism, and rigid work rules to the labor market, impeding the economic growth that ultimately makes a country strong.” (Kristof 2015) It is clear after doing my research that this problem with unions is persistent and hard to avoid given the nature of how unions operate. However, the recent decline in labor unions is said to be linked with the fall of the middle class in America, especially with the decline of private sector unions. Another con associated with unions that effects employees are the fees and requirements needed to be able to join unions which some workers see as oppressive and repetitive overall hindering their economic wellbeing by taking away funds, they could be saving for themselves. Employees also stand at a disadvantage when they are within a labor union because it takes away from their individuality when it comes to making decisions. Employees are ultimately bound to decisions made by the union that they may disagree with and have no say in how they proceed with said decisions. One con associated with unions that effects employers and ultimately society is that they can drive labor costs to very high limits which can hinder the economic growth of the country in some sectors. (Stevenson 2018)

Having said that, there are a few good benefits that come from unions that help the everyday employee associated with them. To begin with, Unions provide worker protection which is highly valued by workers depending on the profession they are in especially if it is a dangerous one. Unions also benefit employees by offering higher wages and better benefits than companies could feasibly provide the same workers without a union membership. A place where unions benefit society is that they get political agendas pushed and executed to a more efficient degree than their counterparts. (Stevenson 2018)

Sources:

https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/hr-compensation-benefits/articles/pros-and-cons-of-labor-unions