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The Pros And Cons Of Labor Unions

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Unions provide a sense of protection and job security to workers because the union has the final say in discipline and dismissal issues. Unions have a grievance process, which allows the employees to address any disputes they may have in the workplace. This procedure allows the employee to have a voice and again instilling that sense of protection they have within the company. Turnover is less common in unionized environments because employees enjoy the protection and security unions bring. Additionally, being a union worker means that a union representative is available to work with you if an issue were to arise. Having a representative can ease the feelings of nerves or vulnerability when meeting with the boss or HR professional, as they …show more content…

According to the article “What’s Going On With The Labor Unions Of Today” by Maura Falk, compensation has a huge impact on unionized workers. Wages for union workers have remained higher than those of non-union workers for about 14 years. For example, a typical union worker made about 27% more in 2014 than a non-union worker (Falk). Also, since union workers have the rights to collective bargaining, which establish clear pay and wage terms, union workers see more pay raises on a consistent basis than those of their non-union counterparts (UWUA). Along with higher wages, union workers also reap better benefits. According to the U.S Department of Labor, “77 percent of union workers receive a pension plan after retirement, compared to only 20 percent of non-union workers.” Again, having that collective bargaining agreement with union representatives allows for union workers to earn these better benefits. Furthermore, according to the report from Cengage titled “Labor Unions and Collective Bargaining”, mostly all union workers, 92 percent, have medical benefits compared to about 70 percent of non-union workers. On average, 91 percent of union workers had their health premiums paid by the company compared to 80 percent for non-union workers. Similarly, 83 percent of union members had access to employer-based life insurance but only 59 percent for non-union workers. Finally, 82 percent of union members had paid sick leave compared to 63 percent of non-union members

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