by Adam Durie

Created on: January 02, 2010

To determine if one should seek a union or non-union job, that person must first determine what kind of worker they are.  What, exactly, are you looking for in your job and where do you want to end up?

Speaking for myself only, I prefer an employer that does not require you to be a union member.  I have had experiences working on each side of the proverbial fence and have come to that preference over time and experience.  This is not to say that I find one better or worse than the other, only that I find myself a more productive worker employed in a non-union environment.

Let's compare shall we...

Job security:

This would likely be the number one phrase that comes to anyone's mind when they think of a union.  This is because, in a very direct way, unions provide a safety net for employees that is hard to ignore.  Unlike it's counterpart, for example, an employer cannot terminate an employee simply for not producing enough direct assets to the company.  Depending on the union, as well as the terms of the agreement between the employer and the union, this can vary a great deal.  The spirit of every union, however, is to provide to some degree a level of security for it's workers.

The downside to this, in my mind, is that it can theoretically reduce the actual productivity of the workers in question.  I say theoretically only because I have no direct statistics to provide substance to this article.  No proof except that of my own experience.  With this increased sense of security and entitlement provided by the union, employees have less consequences for being lazy, not trying their best to ensure good work, or direct slander of their employer in many cases.  Is this fair to the company that is paying them increased wages for what should be superior work?  I think not.

And how does this relate to you as a union worker?  I found it very frustrating as an ambitious, hard working, head-strong employee who wanted to get ahead at all costs.  I felt stifled. This is because the job security that seemed like such an outstanding asset to me originally was an equally outstanding asset to the employees who had worked for the company longer than I had. I was making the company more money, I was more reliable, harder working, and preferred by management in every conceivable way, but I had been hired more recently than the people who had no aspirations to provide good service to our employer.

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