Here in Virginia the mention of unionization can create a tremendous backlash from even those who believe in labor rights. As a neighbor to Washington DC and Maryland, both of whom promote union employment in several sectors, we have seen the noble concept of protecting employees corrupted to become an employment program which disregards the fiscal stability of management. One can look at our regional transit body, WMATA, and see how 35% payroll benefits and year over year pay raises, regardless of warrant, can eventually overcome an otherwise profitable system.
The reaction, understandably, is to dismiss unions as wholly inefficient and corrupt. After all, Virginia is a model economy, a work to right state, and relatively amicable in relations between groups like teachers/steel workers/construction and management.
Are Unions therefore unnecessary?
First, you have to imagine the world at the end of the 19th century. The era of the robber baron was in full maturity after years of whittling away workforce wages to the absolute minimum. More important than the putrid pay of employees was the often dangerous conditions in factories and workhouses. The plight of the worker culminated in the highly publicized 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City. 146 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe who barely spoke English let alone possessed the ability to negotiate with management, died in the the cities worst industrial disaster.
This was the beginning of mainstream unionization and labor law in America. Early on the Unions fought for fire retardant standards, air quality, safety regulations, and other costly facilities improvements which at that time “hurt the bottom line”.
One might say that factory employment has become far more safe since that time, with several federally mandated laws including the creation of OSHA. Unfortunately, if you have ever worked in the construction industry, you know that often these rules are again misunderstood by employees of immigrant background and far too often skirted by management. The problem revolves around the inability for the government (both federal and local) to enact oversight at all times in all locations. Without the protection of a union, whistle blowing becomes very difficult for those the most at risk.
All of that is in the past.
This is the greatest fallacy of post-post industrial America. In just the past year there have been several hundred serious injuries and fatalities in the construction industry, many of which could be avoided with simply (though sometimes costly) safety provisions. Mass casualties can still occur as was seen in the Massey Upper Big Branch mine disaster. Massey Energy has been notorious for skirting labor laws and primarily hires non-union workers from outside of West Virginia. There are tens of thousands of workers in America currently at risk, with consent of their managers, and may not even realize it.
So I am for Unions?
I wish I could be. Unfortunately for every benefit to worker safety that comes from unions, there is the equal counterbalance of corruption which comes from mob price gauging on businesses. There is no doubt that in many ways the creation of a union creates an irreversible trend towards unsustainable wages. More importantly is the continuous growth in benefits packages which after many iterations of negotiation eventually become outrageous when compared to most non-union workers in other fields. During a period in which Metro’s need for subsidization from the region continues to grow, without any WMATA funded improvements (relying instead on the jurisdictions to now solely fund this as well) employees continue to receive a fully noncontributory pension. Health insurance is top notch. Wages themselves are over 15% higher than comparable workers in Chicago. Because of this WMATA continues to be the political punching bag for anti-transit (mostly car focused) advocates.The system as a whole remains in-able to fund its own sustainability and the riders and commuters are the ones who are hurt.
Unions were started to protect employees. Literally. Not their ability to retain a job without merit, not for their ability to corner management for higher pay, but to specifically be protected from death and injury. With each wage and employment protection measure, labor unions lose more credibility and ultimately put their members further at risk of harm.
We, the non-rich, of course are always worried about our ability to retain a job and earn a wage capable of reaching the goals we desire. However, protecting those who may not deserve it based on their merit, but only for their membership in a powerful group, is a perversion to the goals of labor protection. Until Unions are removed of the ability to use the strike as a method to force monetary compensation, the union will continue to be a mislead and ineffective check to big business, and leave those they seek to protect in harms way.