Pro 2: Unions promote higher wages and better benefits. Through collective bargaining, unions are able to secure higher wages and better benefits. That said, unionized workers are not the only ones to benefit from this. Employers have also raised wages for non-unionized workers in order to compete for talent.
During the crisis, unionized workers have been able to secure enhanced safety measures, additional premium pay, paid sick time, and a say in the terms of furloughs or work-share arrangements to save jobs. These pandemic-specific benefits build on the many ways unions help workers.
For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired.
Unionized workers have better access to retirement benefits. Employees that are represented by a union in the workplace have better access to retirement benefits. In fact, workers who are employed within a unionized workplace are more likely to have 401ks or IRAs, as well as pensions.
The non union people, management typically, generally dislike unions for the difficulty they cause in their ability to work with their staff to do their jobs. Unions create an adversarial relationship between staff and managers. They take away the ability to reward good work and punish bad work.
Pro 1: Unions provide worker protections.
Largest unions
| Name | est. | Members (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees | 1932 | 1,459,511 |
| Teamsters | 1903 | 1,400,000 |
| United Food and Commercial Workers | 1979 | 1,300,000 |
| United Auto Workers | 1935 | 990,000 |
The Most Famous Labor Union in History
In the history of America's trade and labor unions, the most famous union remains the American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers. At its pinnacle, the AFL had approximately 1.4 million members.
The tactics available to the union include striking, picketing, and boycotting. When they go on strike, workers walk away from their jobs and refuse to return until the issue at hand has been resolved.
However, once you become a member of a union, an employment agreement is generally negotiated and put into place. Within that employment contract may be a provision stipulating that you may only be fired for just cause.
Union members earn better wages and benefits than workers who aren't union members. On average, union workers' wages are 28 percent higher than their nonunion counterparts. Labor unions give workers the power to negotiate for more favorable working conditions and other benefits through collective bargaining.
Unions are associated with higher productivity, lower employee turnover, improved workplace communication, and a better-trained workforce. There is a substantial amount of academic literature on the following benefits of unions and unionization to employers and the economy: Economic growth. Productivity.
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