Union vs Non-Union Essay Example

frequently strive to ensure that workplaces are as safe as possible for their members by including improved safety standards as a component of contract negotiations with employers. While this provides obvious benefits for employees, it also can be important for employers. A safer workplace means fewer accidents and injuries, so companies pay less in workers' compensation claims and experience less absenteeism resulting from work-related injuries.

Disciplining Workers

Union contracts often stipulate procedures for disciplining employees.

For instance, employers need to adhere to strict guidelines and follow due process when terminating employees as opposed to letting them go with little apparent cause. This ensures employees are disciplined fairly and consistently. While union rules often make it more difficult for employers to terminate what they consider to be "problem" employees, they also protect employers against legal action taken by employees who believe their firings were unjustified.

Weaknesses of unionized organization Inflexibility: Union workers often set their work hours, and they must take a certain number of breaks during the day, no matter how heavy or how light the workload. It can be difficult for managers to bring in new ways of working, as all changes need to be agreed with the union first.

Rigid practices

This inflexibility also affects cross-training. Many unions stipulate that a worker has one role, and that they must not carry out any task that falls outside their job description. This can be frustrating for employers, especially when there are seasonal changes in work volume, and when workers are off sick.

Most non-unionized organizations have a flexible workforce that can rearrange tasks depending on the company's

needs, but this is often not the case with a unionized workforce.

Communication

Communication can be a challenge with union workers. Some union contracts require most, if not all, communication to go through union representatives, or at least be agreed with them in advance. This can mean that your team and union representatives don't include you in all discussions, which can be a real hindrance in building trust and credibility with your team.

Other unions will require communications to be delivered to team members jointly, by yourself and the union representative. The main drawback of this is the extra time that it can take to communicate with your team.

Union Contracts

Union contracts can also inhibit the effectiveness of a team or department, especially when people take advantage of the system. For example, many union contracts state that employees can have a set number of absences, or sick days, within a six-month period, before management penalizes them.

Some workers take advantage of this, and take every sick day that they're entitled to, every six months.

Unions can institutionalize conflict in the workplace, where union officials may think that they need to be seen to "stick up for members" to justify membership fees.

Non-unionized Organizations

A non-unionized organization is a place where there is no unions attached for the interference in the company. A place where the employer makes all the rules, sets all the wage rates, and makes all the decisions on things like discipline, promotions and hours of work.

The worker has no rights to change all these things. Strengths of non-unionized organizations