How Unions Benefit the Employees - Term Paper Example

 Unions Unions have a considerable impact on the payment and working lives of both unionized as well as non-unionized employees. “Unions affect the salaries, fringe benefits, total reimbursement, pay inequality, and workplace security” (Yates, 2009). Unions are the issue of much argument; to some extent, this is because of a lack of knowledge regarding the advantages that a union offers to companies and workers. Union is an association of employees whose use is to talk with employers for improved salaries, securer functioning environment, and impartial behavior. Unions are there to make life better for workers, although they as well offer advantages to companies (Yates, 2009). A key benefit that union workers have over their non-union counterparts is compensation. Within a non-union place of dealings, earnings and other compensation are resolved confidentially. There is no assurance that two individuals working on the same post - with the similar qualifications - get the same income and other compensation. A labor union, on the other hand, guarantees that all salaries and compensation are written into the union's agreement. Unions increase salaries of unionized employees by more or less 21 percent and increase compensation, together with both earnings plus other benefits, by more or less 30 percent. Each worker is treated without any prejudice within a union workplace. Preferential treatment does not play a part in who is promoted or what income raise is given. The union agreement indicates when increase in salary takes place, and with how much experience the corporation qualifies the employee for a promotion. Everyone is dependent on the similar guiding principle and job tasks. “Unions reduce wage inequality because they raise wages more for low- and middle-wage workers than for higher-wage workers, more for blue-collar than for white-collar workers, and more for workers who do not have a college degree. Another main advantage of union membership for employees is that seniority is privileged. Within a company, that does not have union representation; the qualifications for a promotion are mostly subjective. In a union, the qualifications for promotion are generally supported by seniority. The level of seniority that is required is spelled out in the union contract. Thus, loyalty is rewarded over a person's subjective opinion of the qualifications of candidates applying for a promotion” (Dray, 2010). Guiding principles within union companies are regular. A company with no union representation can frequently modify its anticipations of employees without notice. In a union organization, these tasks are exclusively established beforehand. This helps both companies as well as workers. Staff has the benefit of more uniformity since they are acquainted with what is expected from them. Employers gain from a more satisfied workers and a reduced amount of time spent on training to implement continuous alterations. Union workers do not have to talk for their own benefit. Instead, union spokespersons talk in support of the whole group. This guarantees impartial dealings with the worker and protects against prejudice within the place of work. An employee can get a better position in discussions when he is united with a mass of workers. Without any help or support, he has little advantage to discuss about raise in salary or enhanced working circumstances. The most extensive benefit for unionized employees is in fringe benefits. “Unionized personnel are more likely to get paid leave as compared to their nonunionized counterparts, are more or less 20 percent to 30 percent more expected to have ‘employer offered’ health insurance, and are 25 percent to 57 percent more likely to be in ‘employer offered’ retirement fund plans” (Mauer, 2001). Unionized employees get more liberal health care advantages as compared to nonunionized employees. They as well pay 19 percent lesser health care deductibles in addition to a lesser share of the expenditures for family treatment. In retirement, unionized employees are 25 percent more expected to be covered by health insurance given by their company. Unions play an essential role both in protecting legislated labor rights and privileges such as wellbeing and physical fitness, and overtime; and in implementing those privileges on the job. Since unionized workers are more knowledgeable, they are more apt to gain from social indemnity plans, for instance, unemployment indemnity and employees compensation. Therefore, unions are a mediator body that offers essential balance to legislated gains and security (Mauer, 2001). In view of the fact that unions have a greater impact on compensations than salaries, approximations of the union premium for salaries only are less than approximates of the union premium for the entire compensation - including income and benefits together. That is, approximations of only the wage premium devalue the complete impact of unions on employees’ income. A recent study shows the union premium for salaries at 23.1 percent and compensation at 29.3 percent within the private sector. As a result, the union impact on entire compensation is around 38 percent greater as compared to the impact on salaries only. A number of issues have been raised about estimations of the union income premium. Various researchers have argued that union income premiums are taken too lightly in a few cases. During the earlier time, non-income compensation was regarded as fringe benefits. Nonetheless, items such as satisfactory health care indemnity, a safe retirement fund, and adequate and flexible paid leave are no longer come under the heading of fringe factors of salary packages. As a result, the union impact on benefits is even more serious to the lives of employees at this moment than in the earlier period. A broad range of labor regulations and guidelines protects employees within the labor market as well as at the workplace. Nonetheless, beyond their position in starting and supporting endorsement of these regulations and guidelines, unions have as well played a significant role in implementing workplace rules. Unions have given labor protections for their associates in three significant methods. First, they have been a ‘spokesperson’ for employees in recognizing where regulations and guidelines are considered necessary, and have been powerful in getting these regulations endorsed; second, they have given information to members regarding employees’ constitutional rights as well as existing plans; third, they have supported their members to implement workplace privileges and take part in programs by lessening apprehension of employer retribution, facilitating members to find the way through compulsory procedures, and easing the management of workers' privileges arguments (Dray, 2010). Unions have played an outstanding part in the endorsement of a wide range of labor regulations and guidelines encompassing issues of overtime salary, minimum income, the management of immigrant personnel, proper health care and retirement plan, civil privileges, unemployment indemnity and employees’ compensation, and leave for taking care of ill family members. Aim behind all of these regulations is to offer protections for employees either by modifying the performance of companies or by providing employees the right to use to some benefits in times of need. With the passage of time, these regulations have turn out to be foundations of the workplace experience, representing expressions of appreciated public. Proof of the fundamental role of unions in applying labor protections can be found in the research on different plans and remuneration. Union membership considerably increases the possibility that an employee will file a claim or report an abuse against the company. Examples of this research can be found in areas such as “unemployment insurance, worker's compensation, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, pensions, and the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provision” (Yates, 2009). The harmony and strength of the business guarantees that employers cannot attempt to treat workers as slaves with less income, extensive working hours and intense working environment. They make an effort to assure that there is no discrimination within the organization. When the company makes huge profits, unions help workers to get a few benefits from that also. References Dray, P. (2010). There is Power in a Union: the Epic Story of Labor in America. Doubleday. Mauer, M. (2001). The Union Member's Complete Guide: Everything You Want -- And Need -- To Know About Working Union. Union Communication Services Inc. Yates, M. D. (2009). Why Unions Matter. Monthly Review Press. Read More