Labor Relations and Labor Unions

To better analyze the U.S. system of labor relations, we also need to consider what it is that labor unions do. How do unions address issues of hours of work, wages, workplace safety, and job security? Do unions do more than the current U.S. labor laws in each of these areas, or have the laws made unions largely irrelevant? Has HR addressed these issues adequately, or do we see that in the absence of unions the labor problems persist? The articles you have been assigned to read in this lesson help us to gain an understanding of what unions do. 

 

What Do U.S. Unions Do?

As we read through the information in the Budd text and the articles for this lesson, we see that unions and union density have a clear effect on workers’ wages, safety, terms and conditions of work, organizations, and the economy. We also know that unions have had an impact on history and the passage of employment laws. 

 

The Union Wage Premium

Unionized workers enjoy a number of premiums in their terms of employment over similarly situated nonunion counterparts. Union workers are more likely to have expanded health care benefits, retirement plans, paid time off, just cause rights, and seniority rights in their workplace. Union workers also enjoy a direct wage premium of about 15% over their nonunion counterparts.