If you've never had a job in a unionized work environment before, you might be wondering how it compares to a standard non-unionized workplace. Most notably, there are job security and collective bargaining advantages that come with being unionized. However, there are a few drawbacks as well.
If you're weighing the options between unionized and non-unionized opportunities, here is a closer look at the benefits and disadvantages of each to help you make an informed choice.
What is a union?
First off, let's define what exactly a union is. A labour union or trade union - often simply called a union - is a collective of workers who join together to bargain as a unit with their employer for a group contract with the intent of obtaining better wages and benefits, improved working conditions, and augmented health and safety requirements.
This agreement usually also includes setting rules about hiring, firing, and disciplining employees, as well as processes for promotions and demotions. The workers collectively are in a much stronger bargaining position with management when there is solidarity among the group. This offers a level of protection to members of the union from being singled out for punitive treatment from management or for being underpaid compared to their counterparts.
In most cases, trade unions are collectives made up of the workers who are employed in a specific trade, such as teachers, healthcare workers, or autoworkers. There are also unions of construction workers, hospitality staff, and media personnel. However, not everyone who works in these fields is necessarily unionized.
Unions function internally as democracies. Members vote on the leadership team who will represent their interests in conflicts or negotiations with management.
Historically, unions were created when workers joined together to form a class consciousness against exploitive practices by employers. Previous to this, managers could hire whoever was willing to take the work for the least amount of money. They could play workers against each other in order to keep labour costs down. A worker who refused unsafe work could simply be terminated and replaced by another who was more willing to take the risks.
Forming a union meant that the workers could stand together and say that none of them will work for an unfair wage or in dangerous conditions. This motivated management to improve compensation and working environments. These motivations still exist in the forming of unions today.
Private vs. public-sector unions
Both private and public-sector unions function as a collective of employees bargaining together for contracts impacting everyone as a group. But, as the names imply, they operate in different areas of employment. Private sector unions are made up of staff in those areas of the private sector that are unionized, while public-sector unions are made up of workers for the various levels of government.
Private-sector unions can hold their employers to account financially. A withdrawal of service – or a strike – can bring a workplace to a halt, cutting off a company's revenue. That is a powerful incentive for the management team to come to some kind of bargain with the staff in order to stay in business.
Public sector unions can't put their employer – the government – out of business. However, their strikes and protests can make life difficult for their customers, the public. The public may then take their frustration at disrupted services out on politicians at the next election. So, it is in the best interest of government leaders to keep peace with their unionized staff.
Some of the pros and cons of joining a union
Pros
Job protection. Most Canadians work under a contract that can be terminated at any time by their employer for any reason – or no reason at all. The only recourse a non-unionized employee has is to obtain a lawyer and take the employer to court in hopes that a judge finds that they have been treated unfairly. This can be time-consuming and expensive, and there is no guarantee of a positive outcome. Unionized employees, however, can have the collective power of their union representing them in conflicts with management, making it much more difficult to terminate them.
Negotiation power. Studies routinely show that those workers who negotiate their salaries tend to earn significantly more over the course of their careers than those who simply accept the first offer they are given. Not everyone is good at negotiating or comfortable asking for what they want or talking about money. Being a part of a union takes that pressure off as your elected representatives do the bargaining for you. This brings us to our next benefit.
Better compensation. Because of the power of collective bargaining, unionized workers tend to earn more than those who are non-unionized. They are also likely to have much more robust dental and healthcare packages, more vacation time, paid sick leave, and retirement benefits.
Cons
So, with more job security, better benefits, and higher pay, what could possibly be the downside of joining a union? Well, there are a few.
Fees. The added protection of having your interests represented by a union does not come without costs. Members pay union fees or dues out of every paycheque to fund the organization. There can also be yearly fees or an initiation cost. The structure of the charges varies between organizations, but a portion of each member's earnings goes to fund their union.
Majority rules. Unions function as democracies. This means that if the majority of members vote to strike or perform some other job action against the employer, all of the workers have to participate, whether or not they agree with the decision. There can also be an obligation to actively participate in the labour action. A worker could find themselves on strike, picketing outside the workplace when they would rather just be at work, doing their job, and getting paid.
Lack of legal rights. While there is some job protection that comes from having a union represent you in conflicts with your employer, these only apply when the union organization takes up your cause. If they do not feel that your case has merit or is worth defending, then you have no recourse. While a non-unionized worker can hire a labour lawyer and turn to the courts for protection against unfair termination (wrongful dismissal), unionized workers do not have this recourse. The individual has no contract with the employer – his or her union does. So, if the union won't take the case, it's game over.
Another con can be the loss of the workplace altogether. Because staff forming a union generally drives up the cost of doing business for companies, some decide to close down a location altogether rather than keep it open with a newly collectivized staff demanding higher wages and more benefits. However, this only applies to circumstances where a formerly non-unionized workplace is in the process of trying to form or join an existing union.
If you are signing on to an established, unionized workplace, take a close look at your contract, find out how much you will pay in union fees, and weigh that against the benefits and protections offered in exchange.
