Anatomy of unions – Ashland Daily Press

Opinions are like noses - everybody has one. But having worked for and against unions, I believe they are very valuable to society and every workplace.

However, just like any other organization or political party, unions can make mistakes and I have watched them make some doozies. Yet, in the end, I find those who complain the most do not realize their value or how things are supposed to work.

During my career, I have belonged to four different unions and have worked against 24 different unions, and there is nothing better than a strong management and a strong union.

The relationship between union and management is exactly like a teeter-totter or a marriage. One side should never have too much power over the other, and the relationship requires cooperation to make it work at maximum potential.

I know there are many folks on both sides who believe they should have all the marbles, but that is what really causes the demise of the entire operation.

Union membership has been on the decline for years, and the actions of the Wisconsin Governor and Republican-controlled Legislature have made it easy here in Wisconsin.

There are a number of folks who are just freeloaders. They enjoy getting all the benefits that others have worked hard to gain, and they are very happy to take the pay increases the union bargains.

Act 10 made them think they were going to save money, but what they thought they were saving in union dues resulted in them paying out a lot more for their retirement and health insurance benefits plus losing job security and representation.

A management that is too strong does not give their employees proper wages and benefits, while a union that is too strong either takes advantage during bargaining or forces management to waste money on high-priced attorneys to balance the scales.

Everyone knows right now managers are getting million dollar bonuses, double-digit percentage wage increases and golden handshakes at retirement, while the employees struggle to make ends meet with small or no wage increases.

This proves two things. First, this equation is totally wrong. Second, companies and school districts have enough money to give everyone a fair wage and benefit package but dont.

In a labor pool (community or area), when a union bargains higher wages, the non-union employers give higher wages because they have to be able to recruit and retain a quality workforce. Everyone wins, including local merchants!

People complain about the wages and benefits in union contracts, but fail to realize that both sides agreed to all of the terms and conditions during negotiations.

Unions are supposed to represent their members, but many times union leadership feels they know what is best and do not even get input before or during bargaining. This causes the membership to feel disenfranchised and allows them to feel the union only wants their money.

I will show how unions help our public schools in my next letter.

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Anatomy of unions - Ashland Daily Press