The Future of Unions - Essay Sample

Introduction

Simply put, a union can refer to an organization or a body in which a board of officials advocates for better working conditions on behalf of other workers. Each employee has the right to join a union of their choice or decline the offer without any legal consequences befalling them. Different sectors of the American general market consist of these unions such as education and manufacturing industries. Their main obligations entail negotiating for better wages, salaries, and submit employees' complaints regarding particular mistreatments subjected to them by their employers. However, even with the significant impacts made by the unions, there is a decline in the number of workers registered as union members. This essay will elaborate on the future of unions in both the public and private sectors.

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Since the introduction of these unions in 1955, different unions came to life in America that negotiated for workers' conditions in their workplaces (Hyman, 2002). The requirement by the unions was that workers would pay the union a set amount of money for the services offered by these officials. However, various reasons have played a significant role in the decline of union impact on workers in both sectors of the industries. Some heads of the government in different states have advised union members in the public sectors against joining the unions claiming that these members are underworked and do not have actual benefits to their working conditions. Similarly, the number of workers in the private sectors under union leadership has also declined and is expected to continue to do the negative public review by various critics and analysts.

Another reason that may threaten the future of union workers is due to personal conflicts and interests. Sometimes the payment charged by these union heads on each employee is significantly high, which may discourage many workers in the public and private sector against joining them. There is also a high risk involved when employees join unions. This risk may arise when unions demand conditions that exceed the normal requirements. These strikes may create a stalemate that may leave union members jobless for many days before reaching an amicable agreement with their employers whereas non-members will still receive their normal pay at the right time. Therefore, this risk may discourage workers in the future from joining these unions and prefer to pursue the job markets on their own terms.

The future of the unions is threatened by the political involvement of some of its heads, which creates confusion on their roles and obligations to their members. For instance, some officials may be recruitment by politicians opposing particular proceedings by the ruling government with the intentions of jeopardizing its performance (Hyman, 2002). They may initiate needless strikes for the sake of ruining the public appearance of the government. Such strikes may negatively affect the working conditions of their members since they may not receive any salaries and wages. Therefore, to avoid such political conflicts, many members in the future may opt out of these unions and prefer to demand payment increase by their level of education.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that unions have made a significant improvement in the lives of many workers such as improving their wages, salaries, and other working conditions that could have otherwise not be achieved with the unions. However, even with these positive changes, their future may not be guaranteed due to the increased negative peer reviews by analysts and activists. For instance, the cost of joining these unions may be high such that middle and low-class workers may not be guaranteed. In other cases, unions may intertwine their political interests with unions' obligations creating a conflict of interest for its members.

References

Hyman, R. (2002). The future of unions. Just Labour.