Unions were formed as a means of stopping the exploitation of employees by their employers by using collective bargaining power. As a result, employers have had to strike a delicate balance between Unions and pursuit of profits (Puschak, "Do Labor Unions Still Matter", 2015). Therefore, managers of most companies would prefer that unions not represent their employees because the balance between profits and employee welfare translates to reduced profits for the company, especially in the short-term. According to Puschak, "Do Labor Unions Still Matter" (2015), there is a pay gap of at least 3.51 dollars per hour between a union member and a non-union member in 2013. That translates to over 7000 dollars per year. That statistic shows that employers are forced to pay union members higher wages. The extra 3.51 dollars is money that could have otherwise ended up in an employer’s pockets.
However, unions are not just beneficial to the employees. There are some situations where employers can benefit from the unionization of its employees. According to KEAN University Lecture (2019), some organizations or employers may rely on unions for expertise. For instance, employers may approach unions to train and provide skilled laborers. The alternative for the employer is hiring and train employees to fulfill specific tasks which are usually technical. The whole process consumes not just money, but time as well. If an employer directly approaches a union to provide the kind of labor that they want then they would most definitely save a lot of time that would have gone into training of the employees. Also, unions facilitate the negotiation process between managers and their employees in a way that ensures minimal damage to both parties. Strikes and boycotts lead to losses for the employers. Having a labor union means that employers have someone to approach with an offer. It also makes the process very organized.
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The United States economy has transformed from an industrial-based economy to a service-based economy over the past 100 years. Expectedly, the shift in the economy would also affect the labor market as more people moved to service jobs. Also, the entry of automation and computers has rendered some jobs obsolete as well created new employment jobs. The shift in jobs has also affected the union membership. According to Puschak, "Do Labor Unions Still Matter" (2015) the union membership dropped to its lowest point in 90 years, as of 2012. Even though union membership still carries a good number of employee benefits, a good number of Americans think that the obsessions that unions have with equal membership have caused promotions to be based on seniority rather than merit. Those are some of the factors that have caused a drop in union membership. The promotion that is based on seniority means that the skills of the union members possess becomes irrelevant. Workers in the modern era prefer to be appreciated or recognized for the skills they possess rather than the seniority which is the basis for unions.
Also, a good number of union members were those who occupy low-level jobs. The repetitive manufacturing tasks. Most of these tasks are now being performed by machines. The people that occupied these jobs have been forced to other sectors of the economy hence causing a decrease in the number of union membership. Employers now prefer employees with individual insights and abilities. Also, companies have preferred the outsourcing of labor to other countries such as China and India. Most of the labor union members were workers in the manufacturing sector which has been one of the most affected by the outsourcing of labor. Also, corporations have eliminated the private sector unions. Instead, most of the union members are government workers such as teachers and librarians. The removal of unions from private sector would undoubtedly reduce union membership because the private sector is largest employer in the country.
Employers have the responsibility to ensure the welfare of their employees by protecting the benefits of their workers. The employers have a legal responsibility to negotiate to collaborate with unions in provision of welfare for their employees. They are obligated to bargain in good faith with the unions over the terms and conditions of the employment. For instance, an employer cannot threaten the employees to lose their jobs if they decide to join or form a union. The employers have the legal responsibility to abide by the agreements reached between them and the union. They also cannot punish, transfer or dismiss employees for filing unfair labor practice.
But the legal obligations, or responsibilities do not just apply to employers. The unions also have some legal requirements when it comes to dealing with employers or employees. The union cannot threaten the employees with loss of job if they do not support the union. Other than that, the union cannot also pursue the dismissal of an employee from job for lack of support for the union. Also, the labor union cannot issue a strike on issues unrelated to the employment or working conditions. Still on strikes, the union cannot threaten, assault, or block the non-striking members from entering the premise. Unions should process and forward the grievances of employees. However, the union has no right to refuse the processing or forwarding of employees' grievances because they criticized the union leadership or because they are non-members in regions where union security clauses are not allowed.
References
Do Labor Unions Still Matter . (2015). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amU5RX1uN1M
KEAN University Lecture. (2019, October). Lecture of Chapters 14 and 15 . Lecture of Chapters 14 and 15 . New Jersey.
