The media and conservative politicians like to portray Unions as corrupt, irrelevant relics of a by-gone era. Yet, millions of workers across the country are active in Unions and every year thousands more overcome tremendous obstacles to form new ones. Are these people crazy, stupid, or under the spell of evil forces? Of course not. These workers know, even if the general public doesn't, that Unions play a vital role in their lives and workplaces. So, what do Unions do anyway?
Most people know Unions mean better wages and benefits. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics clearly shows that Unionized workers earn higher average wages than non-Union workers in the same industry. Also, Union jobs are more likely to include benefits such as health insurance and a pension. Through collective bargaining, workers in a Union are able to negotiate for better wages and benefits with one voice from a position of strength. In non-Union workplaces, each individual employee must suck up to the boss in hopes of getting a tiny scrap more than the next poor schmuck.
Unions help ensure that workers are treated fairly and equally. In Union workplaces, there is an established, agreed upon grievance procedure for resolving workplace problems. If an employer wants to discipline a worker, they have to follow the process and prove their case. If a worker has a grievance against an employer, they can get their complaints heard and force the boss to change. In non-Union workplaces, you are at the mercy and whim of the bosses. If they just don't like you or if they are having a bad morning, they can mistreat, abuse or fire you and there ain't much you can do about it!
Unions also give workers a voice in workplace decisions that affect their lives. Through negotiating a contract with their employer, workers have the opportunity to shape workplace policies on a wide range of issues like hours and working conditions. In addition, the grievance procedure provides a voice for workers in policy decisions made between contract negotiations. In most non-Union shops, the boss makes the rules and workers don't have any say at all. If you don't like it, too bad!
And if all that wasn't enough, Unions give working people a real sense of their own power. In a world that says you have to be rich, young, beautiful, and over-educated to ever amount to anything, Unions give regular working people respect and a means of making a real difference. Together in a Union, working people can not only change their workplaces but also their entire lives.
You can be a part of that action. You can help working people to get the power and respect they deserve. You can help change their lives and the world. Join the Student Labor Action Coalition and get involved in today's resurgent Labor Movement.
Student Labor Action Coalition (SLAC)
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8-11-01