I was once told that there is strength in numbers. I think it still holds true. Unions bring about strength through collective bargaining to represent the employee to the employer. Through this strength, the unions have preserved the rights of employees and living standards. This is evident from the very beginning of unions, to present day.
Unions date back all the way to the 18th century with the journeymen tailors protesting for wage reduction in 1768. During the 18th century, there were several protests by employees and small unions being formed at that time. In 1842, the unions were free from prosecution. In 1886, the forming of the American Federation of Labor brought about the unions we known today. The union became powerful during the time of the Industrial Revolution. The AFL would go on to be the largest collection of unions in the United States during the 1900’s.
In 1894, the Pullman strike took place. This is where railroad workers in the United States protested a cut in wages (casebook 639). In 1911, there was the horrific Triangle Shift Waste Factory Fire, where 146 girls as young as 13 jumped to their death because they could not get out of the building due to it being locked because of theft (Labor Unions Timeline, pg. 3). This tragedy led to a better working environment for workers today. In 1913, the U.S. Department of Labor was established. In 1917, the U.S. Supreme Court approved the Eight-Hour Act with a national railway strike pressing. In 1935, FDR signed the National Wagner Act. The Wagner Act established the worker’s right to collective bargaining. Then, in 1941, FDR signed the Fair Labor Standards Act to establish minimum wage, address overtime, as well as child labor. In 1962, President Kennedy gave federal workers the right to bargain. In 1963, U.S. Congress passed the Equal Pay Act to ban the practice of paying women less than men for doing the same work. In 1970, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established.
If we didn’t have unions, then there are many things we would be without today. We wouldn’t have a minimum wage, child labor rulings, and safety standards in the workplace, and we would have more social inequalities. You might say it’s all in the past, but these old fights are still needed in present day. America still has sweat shops, women are still being paid less than men, safety standards are still being established, and discrimination is still being fought. Also, those that are in unions are more educated and better informed about their rights. Union members are more likely to report a workplace accident, receive workers compensation or unemployment, and are provided with necessities to do a better job. There are so many important reasons we need unions, and none of the above mentioned how they affect a person’s wages, or the benefits of being in a union.
First, look at the fight the UFCW is undertaking to preserve $30,000 a year in wages and benefits of its 800,000 retail members in the grocery industry (Zellner Business Week, October 28, 2002). Let’s also take a look at the advantages of joining a union. The median weekly wages of union workers is $908 versus non union weekly wages of $710. Non-union workers are four times likely to lack health insurance coverage. In addition, an advantage of having union health is cheaper individual and family premiums. A union member is almost 4 times likely to have a pension, and a pension advantage of 285%. Union members are also more likely to have short term disability benefits.
In addition to the reasons already stated, another benefit to being in a union is creating a better playing field for minorities. When I say it’s fairer, I don’t mean perfect. In 2007, women earned 87% of what men made compared to 80% of what non-union women made. Also in 2007, the gap between men and women was 1.9 %. Women are estimated at the rate they are joining the union, that they will overtake African Americans as the top minority group in 2020 with 45% of the union being women. They will at that point become the majority.
Wage Comparisons for Minorities
Median Weekly Wages / Union / Non-Union- Women
+28% / $628
- African American
+29% / $581
- Latinos
+50% / $516
- Asian Americans
+4% / $870
- Women of Color
Information 1-4 provided by USW.org, article on union advantages by the number. August 16, 2010 (p.1) Number 5 provided by the Union Advantage, Facts and Figures. Article by SEIU.org, Jan. 2011 (p. 3)
Today, youth and minorities are actually the future of the union. The growth of these minorities and the rate at which they are joining the union, makes them the future of unions. Also, we have no future without youth. We can see unions assisting student rights, and such things as Occupy Wall Street. This is a good way to help the youth get involved in social equalities and to join the union. So, with so many positive things to say about unions, what do the naysayers have to say?
In order to meet a high standard of quality, union employees need adequate training in order to become multi-skilled. Do you have any idea how much it takes to train another employee? At least several thousands of dollars! A lot of turnover can cut into a company’s profit margin. Then you have people who blame the economy on unions. The economy didn’t collapse because of unions. The economy collapsed because of the financial markets, such as credit derivatives such as credit default products. Banks leveraged 1 to 60 on every dollar in the bank. Furthermore, on top of that you had the removal of the Glass Stegal Act that had been in place since the depression, and people were taking out loans that they didn’t qualify for. These were common practices of mortgage brokers and underwriters of loans. The other thing that caused the collapse of the economy was the rise in the cost of housing. The rate at which it went up far outweighed the income for the standard of living in America. The jobs for the middle class in a lot of areas are making less or about the same as 25 years ago with the adjustment of cost of living. However, when you are in a union, you traditionally get a cost of living raise every year, which is actually good for the economy.
Let’s take a look at the chart below showing “Right to Work” states, and those states that are free to form unions.
It’s
It’s said that union’s bring billions to the economy, and does not take away from it. However, another complaint is that the union is taking away jobs. The United States has approximately 12% unions and a current unemployment rate of 8.3%. Sweden has over 50% union employees and unemployment below 5% during the roughest part of the Great Recession.
However, what about the companies like GM and Ford which are almost going belly up? You have to give the customer what they want, not what they don’t want. They don’t want the same things as 25, 20, or even 10 years ago. Just because you are recognized as an American made company, doesn’t mean someone will buy just anything that they are selling. You also need to take into account that people are becoming more mindful of fuel efficiency when making decisions on cars. The next generation is not looking to get exactly what the last generation had for cars.
In addition, you have people that are misinformed about unions. This is usually led by what I call the “Ronald Regan’s”. The politician or person of strong influence that bad mouths the union, whether direct or indirect they all gain from unions. A lot of these type of people had relatives in the union, or was in the union themselves. Ronald Regan was a higher figure in the Actor’s Guild. Last time someone checked, that was a union for actors.
Unions are needed for economical reasons, because we need a stronger middle class. Without a strong middle class, we do not have a strong and stable economy. Unions help to preserve the rights and standards of living from the poor to the rich. This is achieved through education training, benefits, and wages. It also talks anonymously on behalf of the employee to the employer. It brings both the employee and employer to the table to sort out the best interest of both. The union acts as an advocate for the employee from occupational safety, to wages. IN addition, it helps and assists with grievance procedures for the employee. It is a medium for the company to sit down at the table and come to an agreement. It gives the employee representation that you usually cannot get as an individual.
If your employees are happy, they usually stay and take pride in their work. The object of a truly good union is to bring everybody into agreement. When this happens, everybody gets a little something of what they want. Look at the 1950’s and 1960’s in America when unions were at their high. We had some of the lowest unemployment numbers and the biggesteconomic boom. Look at other countries with higher union percentages; they are not experiencing high unemployment rates. Last, but not least, as long as there are social inequalities, there is a need for unions to preserve the rights and standards of workers.
Who are the people, or occupations in the union?
Remember that the teachers give a lot of our future leaders the initial lesson that they must learn to be successful. Shouldn’t they and others have their rights and standards of living preserved?