Written by For the working class, to join labor union is perhaps one of the best decisions to make. For starters, a labor union is a group of informed employees organized specifically because of the industry that they work in. As a unit, they are able to bargain with employers for certain demands such as workers’ rights, conditions, and compensation. According to the National Labor Rights Act, everyone has the right to create as well as join a union in order to air out different sentiments. By joining a union, a member usually earns 30% more than what a non-member gets. This is a result of various agreements done through negotiations between the management and the organization – called the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Unions utilize a grievance process in order to take care of its members against potential abuse and discrimination. While under the wing of a union, it is harder for an employee to be laid off from the job. This is because security of tenure is the backbone principle of all unions in the world. Statistics also say that most union members have guaranteed pensions, a health care coverage system, and salary increases every few years.
While there are a lot of benefits because of union membership, there are structures that do not require membership. Right To Work laws prevent them from requiring those who do not want to be a member as well as those who want to take a neutral stance between company and union issues. In principle, however, it is more strategic to be inside a union in order to be protected from the sharp turns that brought the economy to its current state. Given how many companies are firing employees left and right, to join labor union means being able to feel the security of being under an institution that companies will not be able to easily dismiss.
