Right for Workers?

The news yesterday carried a story regarding a potential rift within America’s largest union organization, the AFL-CIO. What is at issue is the money the organization is dedicating to increase its membership. Union membership is currently at 13% of the workforce down from 35% during the 50’s. The unions facing inordinate pressure from employers who are cutting pension benefits and health care costs.

The head of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is gravely concerned about membership. He believes the AFL-CIO should dedicate $25 million to fund membership drives, and specifically to target the nation’s largest corporation, Wal-Mart. What is more intriguing is no one is addressing the real reason why unions are shrinking. It is not because the work force has shrunk. It is not because employees have unlimited rights everywhere in the United States. In fact, in right-to-work states employees certainly could use the protection afforded by unions. It is because workers today do not believe the unions deliver any real benefit.

Having had the pleasure of working with a large union workforce I have seen firsthand the problems with unions in America today. And, unfortunately it seems that leadership is completely fixated on membership and the dues it generates. Once union members move to the corporate side of the union they distance themselves from the very people they are charged with protecting. The union becomes just like any other business with focus on improving the bottom line. And their principal product is membership. This does not explain why leadership spends more time devising ways to increase membership than strengthening their existing membership.

But, that issue aside, the reason unions are dwindling in membership is they no longer fight the right battles. As an employer representative in dealing with our union I found the union cared little to nothing about their members. They did nothing to fight for their members who were excellent employees. The union spent a majority of their time and effort in protecting the worst employees. Poor employees were excellently protected be the union. This protection usually came in the form of hearings regarding terminations. The union reps would usually make half-hearted defenses and the employee would remain terminated. The remainder of the employees gained nothing from the union. All the wonderful benefits the union garnered the employees were granted by the company to their non-union employees as well. This may not be the case in areas where workers’ rights are not strongly protected by the local government.

I developed a poor opinion of the union while an employer representative and it deteriorated over time. Unfortunately the union members often disliked and distrusted the union even more than I did. They felt they gained nothing from their monthly dues. The union made little effort to communicate with the membership regarding the services they provided. The only time the union communicated with the membership was when dues were to be increased. The membership, including some of the shop stewards, had no idea what benefits they were receiving in exchange for their higher dues.

If unions what to really do something about their shrinking membership they need to give employees a reason to join. Unions must convince potential members they actually will gain from union membership and protection. When most employers offer health insurance, employees are not going to be overly motivated to trust a union to make their choices for them. Unions must shed their image of lethargy and disinterest. They must find a way to bring real benefits to the majority of their members who are excellent employees. Unless the unions accomplish this soon they will need the $25 million not for membership drives, but instead for their farewell party.