Explanation of Unions Pamphlet

Pros of Joining a Union • Employees are able to bargain as a united force with the employer rather than each person having to negotiate on their own behalf • Employers are force to respect and take seriously the voice and wants of the employees • Promotions and raises are done in the same manner for everyone based on tenure (typically) rather than based on what a certain manager feels or the bias or subjectivity of anyone in particular • Union dues are typically rather cheap • Wages and benefits are guaranteed by the collective bargaining agreement so long as it is active • More due process for employees who are terminated or punished and it is deemed that there is an injustice regarding any of those actions • Brings together and unites the employees much more so than they normally would be in most situations Potential Downsides of Unions • Some employers/union situations requirement enrollment in the union to work there (i.e.

a union shop) • Majority rules when it comes to agreements about collective bargaining agreements and what the union fights for • Not everyone will be aligned in terms of what is being negotiated and what is ignored as a priority at any given time • Political donations may be made to people or causes that are not agreed with by all people in the union • Merit and other non-tenure measures are de-emphasized or ignored when it comes to who gets promotions and/or raises.

• People that work outside the union and/or work during a strike are often ridiculed and maligned in rather vicious fashion • There are limits to what unions can do and this goes double for certain unions like those that involve public safety, the public/government sector and so forth • Union membership and presence has been on a great decline over recent years and decades Resources to Consult.