Speaking of Unions (an article that I wrote back in 2011)

http://voices.yahoo.com/speaking-unions-7997100.html?cat=3



Speaking of Unions



Lately there has been quite a bit in the news about the Wisconsin. Wisconsin until very recently has been a union state; this means to work in most places you will need to join a union.



Usually you have so many days or weeks to join the Union, the unions are supposed to benefit both the employee and the employer; however the balance is normally in the employee's favor.



Union's were begun, originally to insure that employer's would provide safe working conditions for workers. However, over time these Unions grew to be something a little different.



Instead of just safe working conditions, salaries were soon up for negotiations. Wages for some employee's did go up. However so too did the consumers price, as the employer needed to make up the difference.



Unions negotiate everything from working conditions, hours, time off, salaries, to benefits provided by the company. When a company for whatever reason disagrees with the Union, then the Union may decide to go on strike.



When a Union goes on strike, anyone who crosses the picket lines can face serious and unwelcome consequences from the Union. Also the company may just close up shop if they are unable to meet the demands of the Union.



When a company closes, not only are those who belong to the Union hurt, but also the community where the company is, because many workers will have just lost their income.



With many new unemployed people you will find the consumer spending less, creating less of a demand for any kind of product. This in turn will affect other businesses and companies as they will begin to cut back.



As this continues on, eventually other businesses will close; this may or may not be a business that has a Union. Businesses based out of state, which did most of their business within the Union state may finally decide dealing with a Union state is not worth the effort.



Unions at the time they were started had their place and value, however today; Unions do not have the same place or value. The reason is because now there are many governmental laws, rules and regulations to protect the American worker.



If you live within a Union state you will know that it can be very difficult to find a job, or stay employed if you do not join the Union.



Most if not all southern states are what is called "right to work state" this means that if you live in one of the southern states, you have the right to work. This means you don't have to negotiate with anyone other than the business you wish to work with. In Union states however, you may find that not only do you have to negotiate with the employer but also with a Union representative.