Labor Unions Advantages

Life consists of basic survival necessities that range from food, to shelter, and to water. But what brings us to all of these things? A job. Working is necessary to fulfill the basic needs to survival. People in society need to work in order to earn money to purchase resources and sustain life. Although jobs vary in different ways, there is one thing that all jobs have in common- quality. Quality in a workplace should be the number one priority. Quality consists of good working conditions, proper wage pay, equal treatment, and much more. Throughout history, unfortunately, there has been multiple situations where some people were working in places that did not sustain this quality. This led to the formation of labor unions. People began to

Although there is satisfaction from the benefits and advantages of labor unions, these advantages can be invalidated by their potential impact and others may disagree with the ability of labor unions and what they provide. For example, negotiations being made can lead to high levels of wages and other costs. Thus if the company is not able to sustain the high wages and costs for union workers, it can raise prices on the goods or services it provides. As a result, it can outsource its labor. In addition, it can also deteriorate the core of the company by reducing the number of employees and as a result causing an insufficient workforce. “Workers originally want unions primarily for defensive purposes -- to protect against what they see as arbitrary decisions, such as sudden wage cuts, lay-offs, or firings. If they are going to compete successfully in an economy that can go boom or bust, then they need a great deal of flexibility in cutting wages, hiring and firing, and adding extra hours of work or trimming back work hours when need be.” (Domhoff, 2013) Another example is that, when being protected under a union, it makes it difficult to discipline workers. Participation in a union starts to become more about the circulation of connections rather than skills proficiency. Also, despite having a voice in a union, there may still be aggression and lack of cooperation and collaboration; which is vital in a workplace. Both sides will be fighting and stubborn with their point of views and unfortunately, a compromise may never be met in the