Unions in the Contemporary Society

¶ … Mr. John

As you know, I have supported all of your union political actions during recent years and I am convinced that you played an important role in the progress our union has experienced up until now. Even with this, I believe we need to take further action in order to emphasize our position in the community. This is why I think lobbying is probable to sway both the masses' opinion and the opinion of public officials. The fact that the industry seems to thrive while salaries stay the same and while we are often required to put in extra hours without getting the benefits we deserve proves that unions have been left behind when considering the community's overall progress.

While society as a whole has experienced much progress when considering gender equality, unions are very traditional in this context. This might also be owed to the fact that unions are often formed from blue collar workers who occupy positions generally associated with men. As a consequence, for some it might be difficult to accept having a woman as a leader. It is not necessarily that these people are reluctant to accept the fact that women are equal, as it is mainly that they are very conservative and would have trouble accepting such a significant change in their organizations. Some might also be inclined to believe that a female leader would have lesser influence on politicians and the general public, thus making it difficult for unions to achieve their goals.

Another reason for a lower number of female union leaders in comparison to male union leaders involves women having more responsibilities at home. "Not surprisingly, child care and elder care required substantially more time commitment from women than men. Most of the women leaders were divorced or Union leadership and gender never married; some reported their spouse was not supportive of their union role." (Kaminsky & Pauly 1-2) In contrast, male union leaders were found to be supported by their families as a consequence of their roles in unions (Kaminsky & Pauly 1-2).

Question 3.

AFL-CIO America's Unions provides site visitors with a complex understanding of unions, their scope, and the way they affect the contemporary society. The website emphasizes the fact that unions largely depend on the number of men and women joining them. These people hold more power as a result of coming together and thus gain the ability to fight for their rights. Union membership has often been found to make it more likely for individuals to earn larger salaries and to even have a higher self-esteem as a consequence of realizing how their efforts pay off and how they can actually make a difference.