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How would you handle a union in your workplace? What are the advantages/disadvantages of having a union? Is it beneficial for employers or employees?

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Question added by Joseph Ampil , Operations Chef , Elite Healthy Lifestyle COHEN
Date Posted: 2014/08/27
Joshua jan Lorena
by Joshua jan Lorena , COSTUMER SUCCESS MANAGER , CENTERS URGENT CARE

How will I handle union in my work place,  I have to Weigh it first if that will do good or bad to me, to my work, to my co-workers and than to my employeer. 

Flexibility

One advantage that a small business has over its larger competitors is increased flexibility. A small business can chose to change course and alter the way it does its work in a way that is not available for a larger organization. One of the disadvantages of having a unionized workplace is that it will reduce a business's flexibility. In order to meet union contracts, a small business often has to restrict its actions and avoid changes.

Partnership

One benefit of a union that larger companies have been able to take advantage of is the way that a union can become a partner of a business. Unions have a natural reason to want a business to succeed so that their members can continue to work and receive higher wages. If a small business is able to establish a partnership relationship with a union, it is likely to increase its retention levels and motivation.

Costs

It is the job of a workers union to push for higher wages and better benefits. This can obviously be costly for any business. Larger businesses are better able to meet such demands. Many small businesses wait years before they even begin to turn a profit. Any large change to the budget demands of a small business could be a threat to its existence. Unions might be unaffordable for many small businesses.

Teamwork

Membership in a union can give members of a work force a common bond that will extend further than if they simply worked together. A small business that is seeking to establish strong loyalty and teamwork in its workplace might find a union advantageous for this reason. Unions are often effective at creating a shared sense of identity in their memberships. If the partnership with a business is strong, this can increase loyalty and motivation.

Disadvantages:

Higher Wages

One of the main disadvantages of having your employees unionize is that your labor costs will likely rise. Union workers make approximately22 percent more than their non-union counterparts, according to data provided at the website of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With collective bargaining, employees are free to talk with each other before sending a representative on their behalf to negotiate wages, benefits and working conditions, all of which can lead to higher production costs.

Strikes

If you do not agree to the wage, benefits or workplace rules requested by union members, they are legally allowed to strike. Federal laws limit your ability to fire striking workers. A strike not only costs you money directly from lost production, but causes other problems, as well. Publicity from a strike can cause a decrease in sales if sympathetic customers boycott your products or services. Your vendors and commercial customers may stop working with you, anticipating that you may not be able to pay your bills or deliver what they buy.

Decreased Human Resources Control

If you promote workers based on parameters such as merit, productivity or other objective means, you may lose this opportunity with a union workforce. Many unions negotiate workplace rules that promote and protect workers based on seniority, rather than merit. This means that if you need to terminate a number of workers, you must terminate those workers you’ve hired most recently, not those workers who are the least productive. Your ability to discipline workers will also decrease, as union rules and reactions to instances of employee discipline limit your options to deal with workers you deem poor performers.

More Lawsuits and Arbitrations

With an organized labor force, you are likely to face more challenges to actions you take regarding an employee’s status. While individual employees might not have the financial resources or will to contest such things as a termination, a demotion, a lack of promotion, or alleged harassment or discrimination, a union worker may be encouraged to file a suit or appeal your actions, and may be offered union support to do so.

Extra Accounting

If union members pay dues, they can request that those dues be deducted from their paychecks, adding an extra task for your accounting department. After you deduct the dues from employees' paychecks, you must then disburse the funds to the appropriate union account.

I think beneficial to both. Sorry, I have not yet encounter union.

 

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