What does it mean to be part of a union or to go on strike? Workers such as the ones in the picture here, shouting that "One Job Should be Enough," argue here that the wages are not enough to support themselves, that they should be able to hold only one job, not having to work multiple jobs to make enough money to live. Yet, this is a commonality in many lower or middle class areas, where teenagers and adults will work 2-3 jobs sometimes just to make ends meet. This is where the unions come in- to make sure all voices are heard fairly and equally, to bargain with the employers and ensure fair working conditions.
Picture by Bastian Greshake Tzovaras - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gedankenstuecke/31271701518/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73596415
After doing some research myself, much of what I saw and read led into the 'big debate'- are they good or bad? There are several answers to both sides, and it also depends on if you are a "regular employee," or part of the corporate employer, as well as what state you reside in (more on that in a minute). One I read in particular, simply titled "The Pros and Cons of Unions," broke it down in "layman's terms" for anyone to understand. These pros include most of what we already know- they increase pay and benefits for workers, set up formal processes for disputes and/or complaints, help with political organizing, as well as even setting up benefits that trickle into the rest of the economy. "Before the labor movement, things we all take for granted in the workplace now – weekends, safety provisions – were not the norm" (Josephson); these are just two examples of how the labor movement has affected everyone. Those cons on the other side, mostly seen by employers, are such that it makes it very hard to fire or promote anyone, they can often include dues and other fees that not everyone is willing to pay, and and even driving costs of the workforce itself and increasing bad relations between employees and management. Unions enforce rules on scheduling, pay, or workers' seniority, often restricting what managers can and cannot do. As far as whether I would personally be a part of one, I think there are a lot of varying factors that would be examined first. For one, I live in a right-to-work state, and I know unions are severely limited, so if I did decide to join, it would probably have to be if we ever moved to a different state; I would examine the costs associated with joining, and how much this union is benefiting my family in particular. Also, even if I didn't join, there are several different causes I would support, just like we support Breast Cancer Awareness and Research, I'm sure there are many different unionized causes that can be supported without strictly joining or taking out of our daily lives. In the end, it would depend on the situation we are in with my family, and if we would be willing and able to support this cause.
Josephson, Amelia. “The Pros and Cons of Unions.” SmartAsset, SmartAsset, 22 Aug. 2022, https://smartasset.com/career/the-pros-and-cons-of-unions.
Lecture Outline: Week 10. Labor Relations.
Comments