Introduction:
In most of the countries, the labor unions are recognized as the body that plays a significant role in fighting for the rights of the workers. Hence, most of their activities center around negotiating better pay for their members and ensuring their working conditions are favorable. They also represent all their members if a dispute arises between them and their employers. By doing so, it ensures that the employer does not violate the rights of the members who are part of the union (Saad, 2015). To some extent, the larger unions normally engage themselves in the act of lobbying for their members to be given managerial duties in the organization they serve. In the United States, most of the unions fall under one larger group known as the change to win federation. The other body is called AFL. The two agencies serve as organizations that advocate for the rights of the workers in their organizations.
Essentially, they act on their behalf and ensure that they enjoy the full benefits of an employee within a given society. The paper discusses the ability of the unions to organize service worker in industries like custodial maintenance, food service, and similar low-income working environments. Further, it will address the argument in support and against increasing the minimum wage. It will examine the situation in which McDonald and their franchise are being investigated by the NLRB regarding benefits, job security and wage issues. Finally, it will indicate how the enactment of the ACA may have had an impact on increased numbers of part-time and lower-wage jobs.
Ability of the Unions:
In any given country, the labor unions play a significant role in the manner in which employers treat their employees. The workers that are represented by the labor unions enjoy the protection concerning wages and employment. The unions have various roles that they play especially in the labor market. They serve all the sectors in the labor market, and the food service industry is no exception. Thus, the unions have the ability to organize for service employee in this industry (Reynolds, 2013). They do so by ensuring that the workers that work in some of these industries enjoy the protection leveled for them and the permanent workers in the same organizations.
When it comes to the custodial maintenance and the low-income working environments, the unions ensure that their members are protected. They also negotiate on behalf of their members the minimum wage they should receive from their employers (Munnell, 2012). The most active unions involved in the effort to organize for service employee includes the change to win federation and the AFL. However, the challenge comes when dealing with the workers in the short-term jobs. It is because they keep changing jobs hence difficult to maintain track of them and their benefits from one organization to the other.
Argument supporting “Increasing the Minimum Wage”:
The notion of the minimum wage has been in existent for a long time now. In the past, the employers would exploit the workers by offering them with meager salaries and wages. Thus, it was difficult to sustain them. At that point, the labor unions organized to have their members protected through the adoption of the minimum wage policy. Increasing minimum wage is important because it sets the limit below which an employee should not earn. Therefore, it leads to uniformity in the pay structure of the workers within a given country. Besides, setting minimum wage ensures that the workers have access to the rights enjoyed by fellow workers not represented by the labor unions.
Argument against “Increasing the Minimum Wage”:
However, a setting of the minimum wage has some disadvantages. It can lead to unemployment (Swirsky, 2014). For instance, if the labor markets within any given country are competitive, introducing minimum wage could result in unemployment. It is because most of the organizations will require less work and the higher wages will encourage the workers to avail their services. Also, it can lead to inflation increase and impact on the level of relative poverty.
McDonald’s Situation:
The situation at McDonald and their franchise have resulted in them being investigated by the NLRB concerning the issues of wages and job security (Maze, 2015). Presently, the company is in a battle with the NLRB to preserve the understanding concerning their industry and fast food. They argue that the business does not employ the staff and give them the minimum wage required by the labor laws (Larson, 2015). The workers were retrenched because they protested in a bid to have them join the labor union. Consequently, it has led to strained relations between the company and some of the workers. As such, the labor union had to intervene to protect their members from losing their jobs.
The Impact of ACA:
The enactment of the ACA had a direct impact on the number of part-time jobs because most of the employers will now shift their coverage and instead provide their employees with minimum wage. Further, the enactment of the Act led to the increase of part-time jobs because most of the employees are under the labor union bodies that protects their rights.
References
Larson, E. (2015). McDonald's Fights to Avoid Employee Status for Franchise Workers. Chicago: Chicago Press.
Maze, J. (2015). National Labor Relations Board Denies McDonald's Appeal. Washington: Adventure Press.
Munnell, A. H. (2012). State and Local Pensions: What now? London: Brookings Institution Press.
Reynolds, M. O. (2013). Labor Unions and Minimum Wage Policy. Journal of Labor Unions , 3-9.
Saad, L. (2015). Americans Support for ALbor Unions Continues to Recover. Houston: Galup Press.
Swirsky, S. M. (2014). NLRB Signals it is about to make it much easier for unions to organize contigent workers. Boston: Cengage Press.
