There is a major problem found within the culture of unions that extinguishes a good work environment. With present union authority, a member’s job security is basically definite. The difficulty that arises has to do with the attitude of union members. Without the worry of losing employment due to poor quality of work, an employee will offer a lazy, pitiable effort. In the article, “What Do Unions Do to Productivity? A Meta-Analysis” written by Doucouliagos and LaRouch, it discusses this point and other negative effects that labor unions can inflict on the productivity of a company. It says that “Unions can have a direct negative impact on productivity by restricting managerial discretion. For example, unions may force firms to
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Unions hurt all those who are not affiliated with them because again, they create an us vs. them mentality. Coworkers of the union members are harmed because those in negotiation with management and ownership, overlook the needs of those not affiliated with them. Getting their members above competitive benefits and wages drives their non-unionized counterparts benefits and wages down. Looking at the situation through the view of those coworkers harmed by this, there is only one of two options. The first option is to join the union and be forced to pay a hefty amount of fees. According to Sam Casselman of the Wall Street Journal, he states that “The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 9.2 million Americans are members of private or federal unions. Using that figure, the average union member pays about $959 per year.” The question then is if the wage increase is worth the $959 a year that a union member must pay to receive the benefits. The second option for a worker on the outside looking in, is to continue working and risk job loss or pay decrease because of unfair perks given to union …show more content…
A problem may arise for someone who is dissatisfied with the representation they receive from a labor union. This is because it is nearly impossible for those in these career fields to separate themselves from the labor union. In a Forbes magazine article written by Russ Brown, it restates this fact.
“It is, quite simply, nearly impossible for workers to get rid of a union once it has been certified as their monopoly bargaining representative. The NLRA (National Labor Relations Act) does not require an election at the end of a designated term—such as a given time period or after the expiration of a contract—to allow workers to decide whether they want to continue being represented by the incumbent union or not. In fact, some workers may never get the opportunity to decertify a union they don’t want representing them.”
With unions claiming to fight unfair treatment to employees, it seems odd that many do not even allow elections to take place. If someone is forced into union membership, wouldn’t it make sense to allow them their due process in finding the best person to represent
Unions hurt all those who are not affiliated with them because again, they create an us vs. them mentality. Coworkers of the union members are harmed because those in negotiation with management and ownership, overlook the needs of those not affiliated with them. Getting their members above competitive benefits and wages drives their non-unionized counterparts benefits and wages down. Looking at the situation through the view of those coworkers harmed by this, there is only one of two options. The first option is to join the union and be forced to pay a hefty amount of fees. According to Sam Casselman of the Wall Street Journal, he states that “The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 9.2 million Americans are members of private or federal unions. Using that figure, the average union member pays about $959 per year.” The question then is if the wage increase is worth the $959 a year that a union member must pay to receive the benefits. The second option for a worker on the outside looking in, is to continue working and risk job loss or pay decrease because of unfair perks given to union …show more content…
A problem may arise for someone who is dissatisfied with the representation they receive from a labor union. This is because it is nearly impossible for those in these career fields to separate themselves from the labor union. In a Forbes magazine article written by Russ Brown, it restates this fact.
“It is, quite simply, nearly impossible for workers to get rid of a union once it has been certified as their monopoly bargaining representative. The NLRA (National Labor Relations Act) does not require an election at the end of a designated term—such as a given time period or after the expiration of a contract—to allow workers to decide whether they want to continue being represented by the incumbent union or not. In fact, some workers may never get the opportunity to decertify a union they don’t want representing them.”
With unions claiming to fight unfair treatment to employees, it seems odd that many do not even allow elections to take place. If someone is forced into union membership, wouldn’t it make sense to allow them their due process in finding the best person to represent