Why Do Unions Overcome Corruption?

The shift in organized labor in the United States (U.S.) from the private sector to the public sector has been a dramatic one. Union growth in the American public sector is part of a 60-year trend fueled by the decline of labor power in the private sector (Norcross, 2011). In 2009, union membership in the public sector passed that in the private sector for the first time in U.S. history

See, e.g., Marion Crain & Ken Matheny, Beyond Unions, Notwithstanding Labor Law, 4 U.C. IRVINE L. REV. 561, 562–53 (2014). “Unions served as a vehicle for worker voice and political influence . . . .”

     The past of Unions is indisputable; however, the outlook can be altered to form a promising future. The reversal of history can be done through reconstruction and restatement of workers rights. A reestablishment of worker liberties should be considered in order to clarify any confusion in which present and prospective employees are faced with. Unions are notorious for being tyrannical and inconsiderate towards employees and thus union heads should confront this issue head on and give workers a voice (i.e. vote). In order to regain union strength in today’s society I believe Unions must give workers honorable rights and a democratic right to be heard.

Throughout American history, labor unions have served to facilitate mediation between workers and employers. Workers seek to negotiate with employers for more control over their labor and its fruits. “A labor union can best be defined as an organization that exists for the purpose of representing its members to their employers regarding wages and terms and conditions of employment” (Hunter). Labor unions’ principal objectives are to increase wages, shorten work days, achieve greater benefits, and improve working conditions. Despite these goals, the early years of union formation were characterized by difficulties (Hunter).

During the time period 1875 to 1900, the labor unions failed miserably in their efforts to amend the working conditions their workers were under. During the 19th century, the Second Industrial Revolution and The Gilded Age were taking place. These were transmuting the way society was viewed and how people lived their everyday lives. During the labor movement, there were many different organizations and groups that advocated change. Two of those specific groups were the Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor. The failure of those labor unions between 1875 and 1900 in the U.S. was mostly due to the union's actions, followed by problems within the unions, and people's response to the union.

Labor unions did not affect business economics with their fights for regulations for excellent working conditions. Furthermore, Along the process, they also fought against social Darwinism, they created laws that protected the poor living.

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,

To humor a former Philosophy Undergrad, on the question whether labor unions are good or bad, we first need to clarify what we mean by “good or bad.” In this discussion, we have two options. First, we have intrinsic goods, which are things that possess the property of “goodness.” The determination whether unions are intrinsically good (or bad) depends on which employment relationship theory we adopt since the theoretical system will entail how unions are ethically perceived. Second, we have extrinsic goods. These are the outcomes produced by unions that are perceived either as being good or a lack thereof. Specifically, we will evaluate how unions serve the goals of the parties involved and the collective interest of society (Katz,

Prior to reading this novel, the whole concept of unionization and collective bargaining was a completely foreign subject to me. I had heard people talking about them, but I had no idea what kind of power they held, and just how much difficulty they caused in the workplace. In reading Unintimidated by Wisconsin’s governor Scott Walker, I learned just how much power a union could hold over management, and just how strongly people felt towards unionization on both sides of the issue. While reading this book, I developed some beliefs about unions, and I certified my beliefs in other areas of politics.

Additionally, there are also cons to labor unions as well. The cons can consist of labor unions being monopolized and can be run by cartels. They can also be exempted from taxes, which other companies believe is wrong because everyone should pay taxes to the government. I believe this is certainly an issue. No one should be exempt from taxes. Taxes are mandatory for everyone no matter what their job is. Competitors will be affected by this action as well because, while they are paying taxes, the company that does not pay taxes does not have to deal with that roadblock. Taxation should definitely not be exempt for union labors. These labor unions can also be costly not only for the employers, but to the employees as well. According to the textbook,

The rise of capitalism as the dominant economic system in the United States made the rise of unions inevitable; given the natural division between those with capital that control the means of production, and labor, who is treated simply as another factor of production (Hodson & Sullivan, 2008). While labor unions have made significant improvements to the working environment, with the regulation of safety, environment, labor and wage; labor unions have also contributed to the decline of U.S. dominance in industries like steel, automotive, education and airlines. In today’s global economy, can labor unions continue to be a force for good in the United States, or have they become harmful institutions?

The topic that I chose to research is, why employees join unions? The definition of a labor union is “an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members’ interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions.” (Merriam-Webster) In other words it is a group of workers that formed a group to help everyone have better working conditions and fair pay. There are many reasons why employees would want to join unions such as job security, improved working conditions, and protection from unfair treatment.

History shows that there has been conflict of power within the workforce between union and management. This essay will discuss if management should have the right to determine whether a union should operate within their workplace. It is necessary first to discuss the roles of unions and management in the workplace and discuss both points of view on the power distribution between unions and management in the workplace.

I am not sure about the analysis that unionization “is counterproductive to economic efficiency.” I understand the example they gave about the janitor, but I think that it is the responsibility of the company to treat its employees well and negotiate better deals to not overpay their workers. Before we had unions work conditions and the treatment of employees was not good. If workers around the world feel that they are being mistreated or don’t have good working then they should have the option to unionize. I agree that is up to companies to make sure they have a culture where employees feel valued and not wanting to unionize.

The rapid growth in recent years of collective bargaining in the public sector has stimulated considerable interest in the consequences of public sector unionization. In particular, debate over the desirability of unionization, collective bargaining, and the right to strike of public employees is often accompanied by untested assertions regarding the pay for municipalities that are unionized against those that are non-unionized. Given this back drop this body of literature will undoubtedly help bolster the findings of this research. It will also help to provide an empirical analysis of the role of unionism in public sector, by simultaneously examining writing of scholars who have study its differences in unionized and nonunionized employment both in government and private sectors.