Organization of Unions Unions have a way of having pros and cons, which working in the union is either good or bad. Not everyone likes or supports the union, but there are those who demand to have a job in the union. Over the times of history, unions were very big but have started to decrease in time. If you work in a job setting that might be a manufacturing job or government job it’s good to have the union supporting you. You don’t always think the union will have your back but never underestimate that you job is secure, which having a union job or not, your chances of losing a job is always possible. After working in a position that was a union job, I can agree to some facts that the unions are good for representing you, but sometimes …show more content…
Not only did supervisors have to deal with the union labors, but they also had to deal with upper management, but the heat coming down on you was even greater amount of stress. Question 2 I can’t afford to join. I’ve got a family to support and my check just isn’t big enough to cover my union dues! I think this was the biggest problem I had with working a union job and I had took the chance in finding another opportunity to support myself. Working for UPS I was hired on at $9 an hour, but if I took a sorting test I got an extra dollar, but each year I would only get a $0.50 raise, which I just missed the old contract by a month. Those before me were getting a $1 raise. When you are not making much money as a union labor, it’s very hard to have to pay the union dues and in the end sometimes seem that nothing is being done for you but you feel like you are throwing away money to the union. Yes, if the union went on strike against UPS, we would be paid a wage while on strike, but that was the last option any of us wanted to do because we all depended on our salary, and it wasn’t much. Question 3 I don’t need a union. My employer is fair and will take care of me. What could the union get for that I wouldn’t have gotten anyways? Well this is something you should never take for granite and your job is never safe even if you think your employer will take care of you.
Labor union were crucial in the late 1800’s when the workers were working long hours, doing hard work, without any extra pay. Job security (could be fired at any given time) and safety precautions did not exist in this era, jobs in this day was typically a threat to the workers due to the bad working conditions. When the union was formed in 1866 it was not easy, but if the workers understood how it would benefit them it would have been a greater successes. Due to lack of education, the communication between the union and the works was broken. Some of the religious beliefs created a hardship on getting the union passed. One of the unions called the AFL (American Federation of Labor) was created in 1881 that would try to fight for workers’ rights.
Labor unions are an organized association of employees who come together who would all like to better the relationship with their employer. They have power to impact things such as wages, job training and other work related issues. So why would employees want to start and organize a union? Well, one reason employees would want to start a union it’s usually because employees are dissatisfied with something in their job and they would like to fix it. The ‘things’ they would like to fix could range from something as basic as wages and to job security (Hunter 1).
I have to say that my relationship with my union is new and it means a great deal to me and my wife. I have long since been a hard and dedicated working piece of the American economy. I started as a young man mowing grass at a boys club in Savannah, Ga in exchange for mowing the grass I was able to be a part of the Boys club and my parents did not have to pay for me to be able to go there after school and during the summer which was great because between my dad and step mother there was five of us kids and for middle class family of seven to be able to have great amenities plus finding that extra money to pay for after school actives was no easy task so I worked for that. I then grew up and in my teenage years I worked fast food while in High school. I worked at a three in one restaurant it was a Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and it was unionized. However this was my first small union experience and it was not the ideal first experience that myself of anyone
Labor Unions: Aging Dinosaur or Sleeping Giant? The Labor Movement and Unionism Background and Brief History Higher wages! Shorter workdays! Better working conditions! These famous words echoed throughout the United States beginning in “1790 with the skilled craftsmen” (Dessler, 1997, p. 544). For the last two-hundred years, workers of all trades have been fighting for their rights and “seeking methods of improving their living standards, working conditions, and job security” (Boone, 1996,p.287). As time went by, these individuals came to the conclusion that if they work together collectively, they would grow stronger to get responses to their demands. This inspired into what we know today as labor unions. “A labor union
Title: Unions have played a significant role in workforce history, have they outlived their purpose.
Labor union history began when the National Labor Union (NLU) was founded in 1866. After the creation of this union, several followed after. Many riots occurred during this time, the Haymarket Riot was one of the main reasons that the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was created. The AFL will be a major part in the labor movement in the future. Labor unions began due to the need to protect the workers. These labor unions formed to fight for reasonable hours, better pay, and safer working conditions. These stipulations that the labor unions pushed for did not come from greed. Many laborers were dying from different jobs. People were required to work 12 or more hour days, 7 days a week for such a small amount of pay. Due to the overworking of these laborers, it caused them to make mistakes. Not only were companies over working these people, they were hiring inexperienced people with little to no training. Thousands upon thousands of people died because of this. To prevent this from occurring labor unions were created to ne the barrier between a company and the workers, the unions are there to help negotiate any stipulations the workers may request. However, after the early to mid 1900’s the attendance and membership of unions declined drastically.
No one knew how to properly use the equipment because they were never taught and there was no directions to help them. It's diffucult to work with equipment that can be very dangerous. Often times there were fires because an error happened with the machinery. One of many, The Shirtwaist Factory Fire hurt many people, one hundred and seventy five died and more than one hundred were injured. They were unable to escape because the fire was on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors. Also because the employers locked the doors to make sure they kept on working. There was no fire escape plan either, many had to jump to their death. The company refused to install sprinkler systems. There were many ways were the bosses could have avoided that
The role of unions and their importance has changed over the years. A mixture of poor wages, high unemployment, non-existent benefits and insignificant professional stability amongst the more youthful era makes a ready demographic for restoration. The younger era is the slightest unionized section of our general public today by a long shot. Unions are important in today’s society because checks and balances are necessary entities in business and government, so if CEOs are just focusing on themselves and profits, unions are a necessary check to all that corporate power. Today and in the future, labor unions will continue to play an important role in our country 's work force and the quality of life for working families.
First some disclosure about myself: my mother was a strong union member for General Motors for over 32 years where she held several different offices in the union. My stepfather was a member of the local iron workers union and then a member of the union at Tinker Field Airbase. When I got out of high school I worked at General Motors wishing I could join the union. Within a year of being out of school I hired on the fire department and joined their local union where I was a member for over 22 years. Needless to say I have a long history with labor unions and the benefits they provide. I know unions have done great things for our nation and have been a counterbalance to greedy companies that take advantage of
Unions do provide a lot of good services to its members, such as higher wages, better hours, more benefits, and safer working conditions. There is a price to pay for these services, though. Every union requires its members to pay dues, whether they are in the form of a percentage of each paycheck, or a flat rate. The money form dues goes towards lobbying politicians to pass union-friendly legislation, or better labor laws. The money also finances officers in the union organization, who are the ones calling the shots, as far as labor negotiations are concerned.
There is a proven history behind the efforts of labor union. Unions fought and succeeded in advancing the concerns of the work force as a whole. It is a testament to the efforts of labor union that even with the steady drop in membership labor unions are still able maintain safe work environment and provide good wages for members. This is impressive given that in the beginning it was the size of membership that gave the labor unions a most effective weapon in the form of a strike. Ultimately what is at stake here are our very livelihoods.
Unions first came about with the realization that workers were being treated unfairly, worked in
The labor union movement over the years has shaped the way individuals work and live for both the nicest and unpleasant. Some would think the unions influence has created a power struggle between management and union leaders. In today’s time, some citizens insist the existence of unions are a must to aid in employee freedom, while others view the labor unions as just another problem in the line of progress. The purpose of labor unions was for employed workers to come together and collectively agree on fundamental workplace objectives. The rise of the union came about after the Civil War- responding to the industrial economy. Surprisingly at the least unions became popular within the 1930-50’s and began to slowly decrease,
Being a part of a working union comes with a lot of benefits, for example, most workers that belong to a union have a better set wage than those who do not. Also, “Some 93% of unionized workers were entitled to medical benefits compared to 69% of their nonunion peers” (The pros of Joining a Labor Union). Union workers are not easily fired, they have a lot
The relationship between unions and organization is a touchy one. Dating back to the start of unionization in the 19th century, the two bodies have held opposing viewpoints. Unionization was formed from the opinion that organizations took advantage of workers and some form of a negotiating agreement was needed. There were documented events of workers working long taxing hours for insignificant pay; no healthcare coverage; dangerous working conditions; and gender and or racial discrimination. Companies believed that unionization caused less productivity which endangered profits. Companies also believed that unions interfere in daily processes, and limits the employer’s say over compensation and benefits. The