Currently, unions are attempting to make inroads into companies that either do not have or which have little union activity and representation. One mechanism that the major unions are attempting to implement through legislation called “The Employee Free Choice Act”. This act involves the “card check rule”, where employees sign cards. If more than half of workers sign cards, then the union can set up bargaining units. This presents problems with the individual’s security and safety that was offered by secret ballots and favors the union in most cases.
This is after the aggressive efforts of the second Bush administration to decimate the unions hold on the workplace, where union representation is now estimated to be only 7% of the American workforce. The Republicans and some moderate Democratic Party members are resisting the legislation, some carrying on a vehement anti-union sentiment. The legislation is taking a back seat to far more pressing issues. Taking on a noisy and polarized political battle over union issues could also conflict with health care reform which is billed as a way to lower the employer’s health insurance burden, allowing bettering other wages and benefits for workers.
The unions also have to overcome disappointment by workers who did not get the help that they needed in keeping their jobs, keeping work conditions from deteriorating, and in outsourcing jobs to other countries, because American Union concessions caused them to price themselves out of the market.
The unions have to overcome public perceptions that they are greedy, corrupted, have inflated wages in the auto and other industries that caused outrage when the industries were asking for bailouts and general unemployment was reaching all time highs. It was becoming apparent that the union leadership just does not understand that union leadership and membership has to make sacrifices in an economic crash along with everyone else.
From prison unions to trade unions all over the world, privatization and global economic recession, combined with successful political and government efforts, including violence, to weaken unions has caused challenges both in attracting membership and in battling efforts to keep unions from organizing. The trends toward part time work, independent contracting, layoffs and rehiring and outsourcing have served to get around existing union contracts and to prevent establishing new bargaining units.
From globalization of economies to requirements for revamping all aspects of union management, activities and organization, the main challenges that face unions lie in modernization and reorganization. The older union tactics of engaging in hardball politics, relying upon generational support for unions, and in resting on past improvements of worker conditions are no longer useful in a changing world.
CITATIONS
Reuters, “Labor Unions Facing Challenges Even Under Democrats” Sep 2009
EUTI, “Trade Unions In Europe Facing Challenges and Searching for Solutions”, 2000
