There has been quite a discussion in the “What is Wrong with this System” thread over some of the perceived advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a union shop (required enrollment in the union after a set period of days to continue to maintain employment) vs an open shop (No requirement to join).
Some of the arguments:
Argument in favor of the closed and union shop:.
unions can win a fair return for their labor only through solidarity, since there is always—except in wartime—an oversupply of labor; and that, since all employees of a plant share in the advantages won through collective bargaining, all workers should contribute to union funds.
According to a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court decision: "A union shop arrangement has been thought to distribute fairly the cost of these (representative) activities among those who benefit, and it counteracts the incentive that employees might otherwise have to become “free riders”; to refuse to contribute to the union while obtaining benefits of union representation that necessarily accrue to all employees."
Arguments in favor of the open shop:
forcing unwilling workers to pay union dues is an infringement of their rights; that union membership is sometimes closed to certain workers or the initiation fee so high as to be an effective bar to membership; and that employers are deprived of the privilege of hiring competent workers or firing incompetent ones.
What are your views? Would also be interested in hearing from individuals in “Right to Work” states, especially those not covered by a union contract. Are you better off without a union? How so?
"You will find some people saying that they are for so-called 'Right-to-Work' law, but they also believe in unions. This is absurd -- it's like saying you are for motherhood but against children."
-- Harry S. Truman
Note: Right-to-work states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.
[ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: rrilling ]
Some of the arguments:
Argument in favor of the closed and union shop:.
unions can win a fair return for their labor only through solidarity, since there is always—except in wartime—an oversupply of labor; and that, since all employees of a plant share in the advantages won through collective bargaining, all workers should contribute to union funds.
According to a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court decision: "A union shop arrangement has been thought to distribute fairly the cost of these (representative) activities among those who benefit, and it counteracts the incentive that employees might otherwise have to become “free riders”; to refuse to contribute to the union while obtaining benefits of union representation that necessarily accrue to all employees."
Arguments in favor of the open shop:
forcing unwilling workers to pay union dues is an infringement of their rights; that union membership is sometimes closed to certain workers or the initiation fee so high as to be an effective bar to membership; and that employers are deprived of the privilege of hiring competent workers or firing incompetent ones.
What are your views? Would also be interested in hearing from individuals in “Right to Work” states, especially those not covered by a union contract. Are you better off without a union? How so?
"You will find some people saying that they are for so-called 'Right-to-Work' law, but they also believe in unions. This is absurd -- it's like saying you are for motherhood but against children."
-- Harry S. Truman
Note: Right-to-work states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.
[ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: rrilling ]
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