1. Why do people join labor unions?

Would you be interested in joining a labor union if given

the opportunity? Why or why not?
A labor union is an organization of workers formed to further the social and economic interests of
its members. Employers are trying to shed responsibility for providing health insurance, good
pension coverage, reasonable work hours and job safety protections. Perhaps a logical starting
point is to ask this basic question: why do workers join unions?
i. Economic reasons
For higher wages, increased benefits, shorter hours and improved working conditions are
certainly important reasons for joining a union.
ii. Job security
One basic human need is security. In the work environment, employees find themselves
in a dependent relationship on their bosses and on what they probably view as impersonal
organizations. They want to know that their jobs will exist in the future and that they will
be protected against unfair or arbitrary treatment. Anyway, with the growth of
technological change, however, workers feel especially vulnerable to job loss. For
example, several thousand robots are now being utilized in manufacturing, with
continued growth expected for the use of robotics in the near future.
iii. Social reasons
Men and women are social beings. Therefore, workers have a strong need to be accepted
by their peers, to belong, and to go along with others. Some unions offer attractive
benefits, such as insurance. Peer pressure may also cause workers to join unions.
iv. Recognition
Some employees have found that the union structure offers them an opportunity to gain
recognition not available to them in the business organization. For example, a worker
with little education may serve on a shop committee or even be elected as a position of
influence, such as steward or officer in the local.
v. Participation
Many workers have explained their union membership in terms of their desire to obtain a
voice in decisions that affect them in their working environment. To other workers who
feel lost in our large, complex, industrial society, the union is viewed as a last hope that
they will be able to influence their destiny.
vi. Compulsion
 Aside from social pressure to join a union, some workers become union members simply
because the employment contract requires them to do so. It would appear that unions
serve a broad network of employee needs.
One of the big reasons workers join a union is to ensure fair treatment in the workplace. As a
union member, you have a strong collective voice for negotiating with employers about pay &
wages, work hours, benefits - including retirement plans, health insurance, vacation and sick
leave, tuition reimbursement, etc., Union members earn more money, have better benefits, and
help employers create a more stable, productive workforce in which workers have a say in
improving their jobs. As you plan your future, consider where your best career opportunities are
and how union membership can help. What do you think are the most important reasons why
employees want unions? What can management do to respond to these concerns in advance of
union organizing activity? The role of HR department in developing and maintaining harmonious
working relations between employers and employees is very important. In many countries large
proportions of the working population nowadays belong to labor unions. The HR strategy is to
ensure that the organization “has (a) the right types of people, (b) in the right places at the right
times, (c) doing the right things right.”
We can see, therefore, that the reasons why employees join a union cannot be reduced to any
single, uncomplicated statement. To the extent that people cannot find opportunities to satisfy
those needs in the workplace, they tend to form unions. Some writers say that the existence of a
union is an indictment of management’s failure to provide opportunities for need satisfaction at
all levels of the organization.
Personally, I would not like to join in a Labor Union if I am working in the Human Resource
Field. There would be a lot of complications and consequences on having both parties on you.
And I do not want any of the complication stuff, especially if it would affect my work.

2. As a manager, would you prefer to work with a union or would you prefer that employees
be unrepresented by a union? Explain.
If I were a manager, I would not prefer to since there will be a lot of struggle to work or associate
with someone from a union. There will be a lot of demands and challenges needed to face, such
as:
 Collective Bargaining and Organizing. The National Labor Relations Act prevents
employers from interfering with their employees’ right to organize, which includes trying
to persuade or coerce employees to refrain from organizing or treating pro-union
employees differently from those who aren’t union members. But because HR must
 approach every single employee’s training and working environment the same, issues can
inadvertently transpire inside the workplace.
 For example, union members can collectively bargain for raises based on tenure, cost of
living, etc., and that can interfere with HR’s ability to promote individuals based on
exemplary work performance and merit.
 Termination Policies. Unionized workers must receive “just cause” for termination, and
this can lead to a lengthy process for terminating employees who are not performing well
or who exhibit disciplinary concerns. So, terminating employees can become expensive
and cumbersome in workplaces that are unionized.
 Addressing Grievances. When employees can air their grievances with HR in a
productive environment with a third-party individual present, typically fair negotiations
can be reached. However, when employees are collectively bargaining for unreasonable
conditions and benefits, or have a biased representative, a lot of time and resources can
be wasted, and overall productivity rates will take an earnest hit.
 Collecting Dues. Usually, union members will elect to have their union dues
automatically deducted from their paychecks, and this creates extra work for HR when
they’re processing payroll. And it also makes HR managers liable for all union
employees’ dues and that they’re processed correctly and submitted on time.
 In tomorrow’s post, we’ll highlight additional information you’ll want to know about
when working with labor unions as an HR professional, such as the benefits of working
with labor unions and some best practices you’ll want to keep in mind.

3. What are the consequences for management and owners of having a union represent
employees?
 Higher Labor Costs
One of the main disadvantages of having your employees unionize is that your labor costs
will likely rise. Union workers make approximately 22 percent more than their non-union
counterparts, according to data provided at the website of the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. With collective bargaining, employees are free to talk with each other before
sending a representative on their behalf to negotiate wages, benefits and working
conditions, all of which can lead to higher production costs.
 Members Can Legally Strike
If you do not agree to the wage, benefits or workplace rules requested by union members,
they are legally allowed to strike. Federal laws limit your ability to fire striking workers.
 A strike not only costs you money directly from lost production, but causes other
problems, as well. Publicity from a strike can cause a decrease in sales if sympathetic
customers boycott your products or services. Your vendors and commercial customers
may stop working with you, anticipating that you may not be able to pay your bills or
deliver what they buy.
 Decreased Human Resources Control
If you promote workers based on parameters such as merit, productivity or other
objective means, you may lose this opportunity with a union workforce. Many unions
negotiate workplace rules that promote and protect workers based on seniority, rather
than merit. This means that if you need to terminate a number of workers, you must
terminate those workers you’ve hired most recently, not those workers who are the least
productive. Your ability to discipline workers will also decrease, as union rules and
reactions to instances of employee discipline limit your options to deal with workers you
deem poor performers.
 More Lawsuits and Arbitrations
With an organized labor force, you are likely to face more challenges to actions you take
regarding an employee’s status. While individual employees might not have the financial
resources or will to contest such things as a termination, a demotion, a lack of promotion,
or alleged harassment or discrimination, a union worker may be encouraged to file a suit
or appeal your actions, and may be offered union support to do so.
 Extra Accounting for Union Dues
If union members pay dues, they can request that those dues be deducted from their
paychecks, adding an extra task for your accounting department. After you deduct the
dues from employees' paychecks, you must then disburse the funds to the appropriate
union account.