Gebelhoff (2016) points out that around 10% of U.S. workers were union members in 2013. Thus, only a small fraction of employees discuss their wages with employers. Gebelhoff (2016) notes that there were 35% of labor unions in America in 1945, however nowadays the number is a tiny one, and the Europe significantly differs in this aspect. Unionized labor is not prevalent, since the manufacturing sector is not popular anymore. The lack of labor unions in the United Stated of America is related to the growth of economic and political inequality as well as lack of progress in terms of racial integration and immigrant populations (Rosenfeld, 2015).
The onset of the Reagan Era made American labor unions unattractive both for society and the authorities. Unions were not invited to any partnership and the press viewed unions’ actions hostile. Besides, lawmakers imposed a lot of restrictions, making the process of organizing workers hampered, if not impossible. Thus, more than 20 years of assault on workers' rights changed the economy, thereby having led to a weakening of the trade union movement.
It is worth noting that labor unions were active participants in the creation of the American middle class. The middle class is not defined by income, but rather by the presence of economic independence from the state or corporate business. Labor unions managed to negotiate such conditions and wages that factory workers could send their children to universities.
It could be argued there is no coincidence that the erosion of the American middle class is inextricably related to the latent movement against labor unions. The lack of workers' organization allows to eliminate high-paying jobs and give the work to developing countries. Over the recent decades, the level of the middle class income fell by 20%. The aspect of social security is even more painful. More and more Americans are without health insurance that was previously handled by collective agreements in labor unions. Currently, unemployment in the United States is fairly high, whereas wages and benefits continue to decline. In such conditions, unfortunately the number of American labor unions keeps decreasing as well.
However, labor unions seem to be an appealing option. Workers form unions primarily because they have interests in common, such as physical conditions at the workplace, health care insurance, vacation as well as wages and benefits (Freeman & Hilbrich, 2013). Thus, a union is likely to positively benefit its members in terms of meeting their needs and expectations. Collective concerns to employers are likely to be heard and addressed. Labor unions have quite a substantial impact on the terms and conditions at work. Furthermore, when it comes to unions, negotiations with management is far more effective and puts greater pressure on the employer compared to individual concerns from the workers struggling to voice an issue on their own.
It is crucial to emphasize though that organized labor should take into consideration the increasingly global workforce along with a range of new business practices. Thus, modern organized labor should pay attention to the flexible work environment and provide a range of services that ensure meeting evolving needs of workers. In this regard, the modern work place should shift from the stereotyped adversarial approach to labor relations. Labor unions should not punish and accuse employers, but actually they are supposed to help workers and make the work process more pleasant.
Outdated policies that make workers join unions should not be promoted. Instead, it is of paramount importance to acknowledge the need for fresh ideas and new angle. The modern society is deeply absorbed in the cutting edge communication technologies and the workplace is not an exception. Therefore, the digital age workers do not require pure promises, but they expect to be engaged in the collective environment that actually instantly provides the reaction to a certain concern.
As far as I am concerned, labor unions will bring positive outcomes. I am afraid I did not experienced working in a unionized environment, however a friend of mine shared his feedback. He was absolutely delighted to have co-workers who were rather dissatisfied with the location of the office. Since he worked night shifts as well as his colleagues, the company did not compensate a two-hour commute into downtown Washington. Thus, union members firmly decided to express their concerns. Eventually, the company has changed its package of benefits and each worker is provided with the taxi for free once shifts end. I highly doubt this would have been possible if just one or two employees complained.
Labor unions are required, however they should reinvent themselves in order to comply with the peculiarities of new digital era. The fall in labor union membership is related to a significant shift of workers from the middle class to the lower one. Labor unions have potential to revive the middle class as well as provide workers with various attractive perks. Unionism is likely to contribute to the family welfare as well as boost motivation and productivity.
References
Freeman, R. B., & Hilbrich. K. (2013). Do labor unions have a future in the United States? In R. S. Rycroft (Ed.). The economics of inequality, poverty, and discrimination in the 21st Century. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Gebelhoff, R. (2016, August 1). Why are unions in the U.S. so weak? The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/08/01/why-are-unions-in-the-u-s-so-weak/?utm_term=.772573347420
Rosenfeld, J. (2015, March 27). The rise and fall of US labor unions, and why they still matter. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-us-labor-unions-and-why-they-still-matter-38263
