Did you know?
Not only do union workers command more respect and have a voice on the job, they also get better wages and benefits.
Unions Make A Difference
| Union | Nonunion | |
|---|---|---|
| A Voice On the Job | Only union members enjoy the legal right and power to have a say on the job. | Management has exclusive control and decision making power. |
| Wages | Pay rates are negotiated to ensure fairness for everyone and protected in the union contract. Seniority is recognized. | Management alone decides what’s fair pay and can base any raises on business needs, favoritism or anything else. |
| Benefits | Protected by the contract. Changes can only be made with employee approval. | Can be taken away or changed at any time. |
| Promotions & Hiring Practices | Awarded fairly according to the process agreed to in the union contract. | It’s up to management. |
| Unfair Treatment & Job Protection | Employees have a protected way to challenge any unfair or questionable treatment with support and representation from their union. Just cause standards are applied with binding arbitration if the parties can’t agree. | You’re on your own. Any grievance process gives management the last word. |
| Working Conditions | Schedules, vacations, workload, subcontracting, work standards, layoff procedures, hours of work are all agreed to between workers and the employer and protected in the contract. | Management decides what’s best for employees. |
| Protections & Guarantees | Only union workers enjoy a legally-binding written agreement with their employer that defines, protects, and guarantees all terms of employment. | Nonunion workers have no guarantees and no protections. |
Union Workers Earn 30%
More Than Nonunion Workers
The Union Difference in Benefits
|
Union workers with guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions |
68 % |
|
Union workers with employer-provided health insurance |
80 % |
|
Union workers without health insurance coverage |
2.5 % |
|
Union workers average days of paid vacation |
15 days |
|
(Sources: U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, Union Members in 2006, Jan. 25, 2007; AFL-CIO.) |
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