Union Letter to Whom it May Concern:

Union Letter

To Whom it May Concern:

It is with great enthusiasm that I declare my interest in advancing to the position of manager in charge of union affairs with our organization. The job and its many critical responsibilities correspond directly with my own skills and ambitions for advancement. Indeed, in my desire to advance the company and its interests, I believe that my virtues are best put to use in advocacy for the workers that make our company great.

I possess a particular skill set in human mediation that will translate well to the rigors of union management. This is critical because the position requires a unique balance between endorsement of labor rights and recognition of a company's limitations. Where the historical relationship between unions and any form of management has been a rocky one, today there is a greater focus on finding ground for cooperation and collaboration. As Tschida (2006) observes, "the goal of unions is to band together and protect employee rights. But these days, frontline workers aren't the only ones uniting when it comes to unions. In fact, many effective union representatives partner with management to achieve company goals." (Tschida, p. 1)

This is true because ultimately, a company and a union must be symbiotic. While they may perceive their goals as very different from one another, they share the same ultimate objective which is seeing to the company's survival and success. Everybody benefits in that scenario. I also recognize that it is counterproductive to view this position as an adversarial one. As New Unionism (2012) warns, "unionists who find themselves responsible for supervising and managing their union's staff are not only often unprepared, skill-wise, but they also have a strong aversion to being managers. As a result, staff get inadequate direction when they need it and sometimes too much direction when they don't." (New Unionism, p. 1)

I feel both prepared for and comfortable with the role of leadership that is required to help a union function according to its primary ambitions, which are to improve the lot and experience of employees while working within the boundaries of a company structure. This is because I believe that ultimately, a good union benefits most from effective stewardship, clearheaded direction and a focus on prioritizing its most important objectives.

I also feel that this is a far more preferable way to channel my skills than as a contract negotiator, most particularly because I tend to thrive in more hands-on contexts. The challenges related to contract negotiations are best handled by one with a greater appreciation for the intricacies of administrative leadership. According to an article by Stim (2012), "contract negotiations typically focus on revenue and risks. But clearly, some revenues and risks are more important than others. When you negotiate, you need to know what your top priorities are -- usually the business or money-making opportunity offered by the deal -- and how your other priorities rank below that." (Stim, p. 1)