If the workers really had freedom of choice....
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
September 6, 2011 1:08pm CST
Let's say states removed "right to work" and "closed shop" laws and simply allowed employees to choose to join unions or not. What do you think the outcome would me?
I think most employees would choose not to bother with a union. First of all, in closed shop states, the people who already want to be in a union would simply continue, but those who don't want to be in a union would quit. So the number really could only go down.
"Right to work" states wouldn't change much, because those who want to be in unions most likely already are, and those who don't want to be in a union have already chosen not to be in one.
I think the biggest factor would be in businesses that don't allow unions in open shop states. The law would no longer allow them to keep unions out, so the workers would have to make a choice.
In the end, I think the workers would be better off over all. Employers and unions would have to compete for the hearts and minds of the workers... so both would have to work harder at getting them, and keeping them.
2 people like this
8 responses
@Adoniah (7512)
• United States
6 Sep 11
Fl. is a "Right to Work State" and has some of the lowest paid workers in the country. We also have a high cost of living. We also have a high number of illegal immigrants. We also have a problem with companies moving here because they are "Union Busters". I am not sure what the answer is. Employers do not have to compete for workers. They can pick and choose because we also have a very large number of extremely well educated unemployed here. It is a mess...Our unemployment is very high here. I do not care what the Government numbers are...They lie like HELL.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Sep 11
Yeah, I remember living in Florida back in the 79-81... yeah, during the last big recession. Florida's tourist industry pretty much creates an artificial economy there. The fact that many jobs are only temporary also creates a "temporary" atmosphere even in permanent jobs.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
6 Sep 11
When I was in Florida I had jobs where employers gave extra good benefits just to be sure that nobody turned to unions. The benefits I got at Universal Studios were great because they wanted to make sure they didn't have to deal with a crappy union like Disney World. If a company is already giving good benefits, unions really don't have much to offer.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Sep 11
That's why union leaders call great benefits "union busting".
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
7 Sep 11
It sounds like, right to work, is the way to go. Everyone gets to choose for himself.
@megamatt (14290)
• United States
7 Sep 11
I think that a lot of people would not bother with unions. There have been some people who have been screwed over pretty badly by unions. Really badly as it turned out. Granted, there are some union leaders who get the power and thus become corrupt. Not all unions are like this but their rep is not overrated as being so. In fact, it is something that is extremely true.
I think that if the choice was made and perhaps the choice would still be made, maybe somewhere like over half, would choose not to. Some people just have had the worst experiences with unions. And there are many people that I know that have said that they would rather sink on their own, then be pulled down with unions. They have done nothing for the workers, only those who are in charge are out for themselves. In other words, kind of like any position of power really.
@rose1717 (190)
• United States
7 Sep 11
Personally we have had a lot of bad issues with contracts not passing here because we are in a very bad eccodomy right now and people in the unions wants more money. They got to keep everything that they had now and should have been thankful for that because it was a lot less then what was being offered in other places here. I would be happy if they didn't have unions. I know a lot of people love them and think that even Wal-Mart should bhave a union. I personally hate unions.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
6 Sep 11
There's never anything wrong with allowing people to have a choice, whether in work or anything else. States that don't allow that choice would definitely see some changes, I agree. I have seen some businesses that were better to work for than those that were overrun with unions but I've seen it the other way around, too. I think that if the job market were truly free, those who didn't treat their employees right would find themselves having to hire people who don't know how or don't care to work anyway.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
6 Sep 11
South Carolina is a right to work state. You can belong to a union if you want. It is my understanding is that the unions are having trouble getting new members. I think your are right. Those that want to be in the unions in the right to work states are already in the unions. I'll bet there are some that are in union states would like to get out of the unions.
