Pros And Cons Of Unions

Post A Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

Summary. Unions are organizations that represent a class of workers to their employers. A union’s purpose is to bargain with employers on behalf of their workers for better pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Labor unions are primarily associated with industrialization, as that’s when labor began to organize in the United States as a way to combat poor wages and dangerous working conditions. Many labor protection laws were passed due to unions’ lobbying and demands for better conditions and protections.

Key Takeaways:

Labor unions represent workers that work in a particular industry to ensure better pay, better benefits, and better working conditions.
Being part of a union usually results in your job having better pay, better benefits, more favorable working conditions, enhanced job security, and a formal way to deal with grievances and complaints.
Unions can have the negative effects of slowing career progression, having to pay union dues, being forced to go on strike, and championing policies that you may not prioritize or even agree with.

What Is a Labor Union?

A labor union is an organization that is made up of workers in a particular industry. Unions work by having the employees come together to collectively bargain with employers, therefore giving them more power than an individual employee would have alone.

The genesis of labor unions in the United States was in the Gilded Age as a way to combat poor wages and dangerous working conditions in factories. Unions have risen and declined over time, but they’re still prevalent in teaching, nursing, automotive factories, and mining.

Pros of Labor Unions

The thrust behind a labor union is that it allows the employees of an organization to band together, therefore giving them power equal to their employers. As they were built on the idea of bettering working conditions and wages, being part of a union can have a number of benefits for workers.

Positive aspects of unions include:

Better pay. One of the primary negotiation points of a union are wages. Those who are in a union or work in an industry with a high percentage of union workers get higher pay than those who aren’t.
Better working conditions. Safety is another major driving force in union negotiations. That means that the conditions in a union workplace are likely to be safer, more ergonomic, and more comfortable.
Increased job security. Unions protect workers’ jobs. Unions won’t allow their workers to be employed at-will, which means that employers can only fire them for a cause. And if you are fired or disciplined, then the union will send someone to act as your representative and attempt to negotiate a less severe disciplinary action.
Enhanced benefits. Along with pay, unions bargained for better benefits. Many union careers still feature pensions, which secure your retirement. They’ll also have better health care coverage, disability coverage, and more vacation time.
Greater social mobility. As union jobs are secure and well paying, they usually lead to better social mobility. People working in a union position are sure of their paycheck and job security, which allows them to build equity.
Formal process for complaints and disputes. Whether your dispute is with your employer or with a coworker, unions have a formal grievance procedure that’s followed.
Limits discrimination. As a way to prevent pay gaps, unions will often define certain jobs and pay scales. That means that there are fewer pay gaps in union jobs. Of course, unions are run by people, too, so that doesn’t mean discrimination or pay gaps disappear overnight, but they try to mitigate them for all their members.

Cons of Labor Unions

Union dues. In order to be a member of a union, you have to pay dues. Those fees help fund the union and pay the salaries of those whose primary job is to run the union. However, that’s money that comes out of your paycheck, which can negate some of the higher wages.
Unpaid strikes. If the union chooses to strike, then as a member, you’re obligated to be a part of it. And strikes aren’t paid. That means that you can lose out on wages and end up in a dispute with management over it.
Slower career progression. Unions typically reward seniority over other attributes. That means that your career progression can be slowed, even if you work hard and show talent. It also means that older workers are very difficult to remove, even if they aren’t the best workers.
Can generate tension with management. Unions and management can end up at odds with one another, which means that union employees and management can also be at odds with each other. That can generate tension at work.
Potential for corruption. As unions are large organizations that a lot of money runs through, there’s always the possibility of misusing funds. Some major unions were badly hurt by corruption scandals, which caused them to lose power and prestige.
It’s majority rule. Due to the fact that unions are based on working together collectively, the majority rules. That means that you may end up going on strike or paying for a policy that you don’t agree with. Not all members are going to support all of the union’s decisions, but you still have to pay your dues.