Labor Unions in the Workplace

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The opponents of the use of labor unions for collective bargaining in today’s workplace argue that the irrelevance of these organizations is demonstrated n the recent steady decline of the rate of unionization. One of the main arguments used to show that labor unions are outdated impediments to progress is the ever increasing managerial hostility and attitudes towards unions. This hostility and attitude is a by-product of negativity as well as other factors or a consequence of combination of factors. Managers have continued to show their negativity towards labor unions because of differences in market composition and structures, changes in labor laws, organization size, differences in public policies, union philosophies, and the impacts of unions on wages (Campolieti, Gomez & Gunderson, 2013, p.100).
Secondly, unions are seen as old-fashioned impediments to progress because many workers are not covered by collective bargaining contracts. Since these organizations are formed to help in collective bargaining, the lack of numerous bargaining contracts to cover many employers make them impediments to progress. In cases where collective bargaining contracts are used, they are negotiated between the company or business and the local union rather than national (Pencavel, 2014, p.143). Therefore, unions are no longer useful since many employers prefer to make the bargain with their employees rather than external organizations.
Thirdly, opponents of labor unions in the marketplace argue that these organizations are outdated because of the huge structural changes that have taken place in the economy or workforce because of technological advancements and globalization. These changes have mainly been brought by the shift from a manufac...

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...stablish new strategies that will enhance their impact and relevance in the marketplace. The limitation of this study is the relative bias in existing literature regarding the impact and significance of labor unions in the workplace. The existing literature has primarily focused on why labor unions are old-fashioned impediments to progress rather than crucial elements for promoting and protecting workplace benefits. In essence, the available literature makes it difficult to conduct a balanced study on the issue. The findings in this research can be used as the first step towards an objective and balanced evaluation of the relevance and significance of labor unions in the workplace. The findings can also be used to develop effective strategies that would ensure that these organizations continue to achieve their goals while transforming based on existing changes.

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