preview

Unionization Vs. Non-Unionized Workplace

Decent Essays

Workplace culture can be defined as the “way of life” for those in a particular workplace. Asking a person to describe his or her workplace culture can be equated to asking a bird to describe the sky. The bird isn’t cognizant of the environment because it is flying in it and is completely oblivious to its presence or its importance. Human beings are the same way about workplace culture. They are ‘flying in it’ and are therefore oblivious to its presence and really do have a tough time describing it even if asked a direct question regarding it. When you think about that “way of life”, it can be non-universal if the workplace is comprised of unionized and non-unionized employees. The United States Department of Labor recently reported …show more content…

Also, if unions were more interested in advancing the goals or objectives of the organization, or if they were more interested in meeting the wants of the union members. Robert was quick to point out that he feels “seniority” is a dominant mentality in a unionized workplace, whereas job performance may be more important in a non-unionized workplace.” One key distinction between the two is that private sector unions must respect the company’s bottom line, whereas government unions do not have that same obligation. Private sector union leaders bargain for more benefits while at the same time recognizing that excesses will force the company to lay off employees or cause them to go into bankruptcy. Daniel further strengthened this premise by commenting, “While governmental agencies may not be concerned with profiteering they are often focused on cutting costs. Those budget cuts affect staffing along with equipment therefore, a project that may normally require a staff of six employees and various equipment may be altered by cuts, creating the same conundrum as the corporation attempting to profit at the expense of its employee.” In the private sector, if managers make agreements with unions that effect negatively, the long-term profitability of the company, it can be reflected in the declining value of the company. Government unions are not confined by an …show more content…

Cultures created by unions and their impact on organizational culture, can be sensitive due to a number of factors including labor-management relations. Conflict and differences in the characteristics of the people, job and work context can also add to the sensitivity of union cultures along with the fact that union members are usually the only employee subgroup that gets assessed dues to belong. The issues facing many levels of government around the nation are not the traditional private sector dispute between labor and management. It is a question of important public policy on whether governments can afford agreements for government employees' salaries and

Get Access