Week 10 Individual Blog

What is a labor union? Labor unions are organizations that play important roles in ensuring that the interests of workers are represented when negotiating with their employers. A union is an organization that exists to ensure that the interests of workers are represented during negotiations with their employers. Many nations have used legislation to strengthen the position of labor unions. For instance, the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 guaranteed workers the right to organize and negotiate with their employers. Despite this legislation, however, the number of individuals who are members of labor unions in the United States has been declining in recent decades. One of the main advantages of forming a labor union is that the organization can ensure that the workers in the company are provided with higher wages and better benefits from the company. Nicholas Kristof argues that the decline of labor unions has contributed to the development of economic inequality within the United States. Kristof explains that labor unions allow workers to ensure that they are provided with their fair share of the economic growth that their organizations achieve (Kristof). Beyond ensuring that workers are provided with the wages and benefits that they deserve from their employers, however, labor unions also tend to create some challenges for those employers. Many employers do not desire the presence of labor unions in their companies due to the ways in which they can limit the power of the managers of those companies. Another issue that is discussed in the readings includes the concept of right-to-work laws. Right-to-work laws allow employees in companies that are unionized to avoid having to pay union dues to those unions. Those who support right-to-work laws believe that this is beneficial to employees who wish to avoid contributing to unions with which they do not agree. Those who do not support right to work laws, however, believe that such laws weaken the unions and their ability to represent their members (Kasperkevic). Finally, while labor unions may be beneficial to the workers in a company, they often create tensions between those workers and the managers of the company. I would be more inclined to join a labor union if I felt that my company was treating me unfairly. I would also be more inclined to join a labor union if I felt that I was not receiving the same benefits from my company as other employees who are part of that company. However, I would not be inclined to join a labor union if I felt that my company treated me fairly and effectively communicated with me regarding any company matters. Thus, I would consider joining a labor union if I felt that my company was already benefiting from the advantages that labor unions provide to their members, but I would not want to be a part of such a union if I felt that I was currently being treated well by my company.

Works Cited

Kasperkevic, Jana. “Why Unions Are So Worried About Right-to-Work Laws.” Marketplace, 24 Feb. 2017.

Kristof, Nicholas. “The Cost of a Decline in Unions.” The New York Times.

“Introduction to Labor Relations.” W10 Lecture 1