by Cody Hodge

Created on: September 03, 2009

Is it worth joining the union? There are some good reasons to join a union, and there are a lot of bad reasons to join a union. Ultimately it really depends on what business you are in, and there are some specific rules that you have to keep in mind when you join a union. Personally I wouldn't want to be part of a union, but that is only because of the work I do, but for some it might be a good idea.

The one reason why joining a union would be a bad idea is that when you join a union, your job description becomes very specific. I remember my boss once saying that there was talk of a rival grocery store possibly forming a union, and how that would be the worst idea ever. For a retailer, that would be a terrible idea to join a union.

However, joining a union can be good if you are working a trade job, and you need to have some protections on the job. While there are always going to be safety regulations in the workforce these days, but a union will make sure that you are always fairly represented. When it comes to getting pay raises, or other perks on the job, it can pay to be part of a union. I had a co-worker who was getting a pay raise during the recession because her union negotiated it.

On the other hand, you do have to pay in order to be in the union. I don't know about you, but it almost doesn't seem right that you have to pay to be a part of the union. I agree that it does take money to pay for things like the union leaders, and all the other activities that a union would take up on your behalf, but the union dues are something that you should consider before actually joining the union.

You only have to do your specific job if you are in a union. I have always wondered what that would be like to have someone ask me to pitch in somewhere outside of my department, and to be able to say no, and my boss can't tell me otherwise. However, that could get boring, and if you don't have a cushy job, you are stuck doing the same thing everyday.

At the end of the day, I don't think joining the union makes sense. Once you join the union, they pretty much own you. You have to pay dues, show loyalty, and follow the union line when it comes to issues. You really lose the ability to think for yourself once you join a union. They were great back in the day, but are they really needed now?

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