Union organizing strategies and historical context

¶ … Organized Labor Unions

According to a number of websites, the effects of union-led accomplishments have been as varied as the number of such accomplishments. One website touts the supposed facts that unions have been instrumental in establishing not only the right to vote, but also the "living wage," free health care, education, and the 8-hour work day. (New Internationalist 2001)

Not only did were the unions active in supporting such ventures they were also a primary reason why "many countries now have a legal minimum wage - a formal, if minimal, recognition of union demands for human dignity." (New Internationalist 2001) the reader may be led to believe that without unions, the world as it is currently known would probably not exist.

Though the unions can be somewhat overbearing in their arrogance for touting such an array of worldwide endeavors, they have been instrumental, in some regards, in assisting many people and individuals around the world in reaching the current financial and societal lifestyle they currently enjoy.

Unions have been around for many years, and working conditions in developed, as well as developing countries have been vastly improved due to union activism and vigilance. Some unions have been able to provide many in society with a sense of security that they might not have ever been able to enjoy without the union's strength and cohesiveness supporting them.

Unions have been the backbone of forcing companies to change labor practices and mismanagement techniques in order to maintain a viable workforce. The unions have also demanded, and in many cases won improved working environments and benefits for the union's members.

The strength in number mentality of many unions could be one of the primary draws for individuals seeking to join the unions. A website promoting union membership states that it is easier today than at any other time in history to join a union. The same website expounds upon the benefits of joining a union in the following manner; "Working people in all walks of life join together in unions to gain a voice at work. Union members have a say about pay, benefits, working conditions and how their jobs get done -- and having that say gives them a union advantage." (How to 2007)

Further information contained within the website gives the reader a step-by-step process to joining a union. For the individual interested in joining a union, the website suggests as a first step to 'know your rights'. Employees are guaranteed the right to join a union, and if there is no union available for the individual where he or she works, then they are guaranteed the right to form their own union, even going so far as to being free to discuss with other employees their right or interest in joining a union as well. The website does suggest, before moving forward with any type of union organizing activity, to contact a union in order to gain a support in attempts to do so.

The second step is to analyze the unions that are available and decide which one would work best for the individual concerned. This can be done by online research as there are many websites now that assist individuals in contacting different unions concerning their status, goals and objectives.

The website also suggested checking the local phone directory for a phone listing to unions in the immediate geographical area. Contacting those local unions oftentimes leads to speaking with staff members who are helpful in obtaining the information needed to facilitate membership.

The website also suggested a third step for the individual interested in joining a union. What the website suggested was for the individual to fill out a form and submit it electronically to the AFL-CIO sponsored website. The completed form would then be processed and sent automatically to an organizer at a union chosen by the interested individual.

This particular website has made it as simple as possible for individuals and entities interested in joining a union. The sponsor of the website most likely figures that the easier it is to join, the more people will be enticed in to doing so. This is especially important since union memberships, as a percentage of the overall working force, has been dropping steadily since the early 1990's. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, since 1995 the percentage of union employees compared to overall payroll employees has dropped from 14.9% to 12%.

A drop of almost three percentages points over one decade is a huge decline, and most likely has the unions scrambling to figure out what to do in order to entice a reversal of this trend.

Accordingly, the unions are looking more and more to organizing additional employees in additional industries in order to regain the prominence they once enjoyed. The four types of jobs most likely to face recruitment by the unions for membership could include such industries as; farmers, government employees, individuals in the service industries, and the old standby; factory workers. The reasoning behind such a statement is as follows; there are very few family farmers left with most farms having been sold or incorporated into huge conglomerations. The individuals running these farms and ranches could join together and force the entire economy down to its knees. A union could help them capitalize on that potential power. Many governmental employees have very little say in their work environment. Forming a union (or several unions) could help them in achieving more parity with their private company counterparts. The service industry is now a huge part of the overall community, and unions could take advantage of that strength by creating a one-voice mentality amongst service industry individuals. Of course, there are always factory workers, and while they may not be prevalent in America as much as in the past, they are definitely still in existence throughout the world. Unions can and will continue to expand to other countries, which could determine their long-term success or failure.