Trade union

From RationalWiki

A trade union (or labor union for those across the pond) is an association of workers united for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment.

[edit] Functions

Unions take a number of forms and their objectives may differ depending on profession. Main objectives have traditionally been:

• Provision of benefits to members: Unions originally provided a range of benefits to ensure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In some countries these functions have been taken on by the state, however the provision of professional training, legal advice and representation for members is still an important hallmark of trade union membership.

• In the US, at least since Saint Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers for striking, unions have been shit. OK, maybe not as good as what you scrape off your shoe.

[edit] Methods

Trade Unions employ various techniques for achieving their ends, including:

• Collective bargaining: Unions can bargain with employers using the collective power of the members over wages and working conditions. Since the Margaret Thatcher days of "divide and rule" in the UK this has been trivialised somewhat. If, however, civil service unions such as PCS start to look at their membership as a whole (instead of "I work for the DWP, you work for the DSA therefore DWP issues take precedence") then this tactic could be negated.

• Industrial action: With a majority vote, unions can organise strikes or work to rule as a sanction against unfavourable management decisions.

• Political activity: Trade unions lobby for legislation in favour of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns, lobby on behalf of or financially support candidates or parties for public office.

[edit] Unions today

With the rise of the "me me me" and "I'm alright Jack" cultures as a result of Thatcherism in the UK, and Reaganism in the US, union membership and power has been greatly diminished, to the point where most young workers (in whatever profession) are happy not to belong to a union and prefer to bend over to the powers that be, and then beg them, teary eyed, to at least spit on it first before sticking it in. Despite the good work that unions have done for the workforce in the past, many of the iPod generation see them as an anachronism and worse yet, as a hindrance to their career. This plays right into the hands of employers who are happy to mete out useless titles and irrelevant wage increases to these people (a technique known as stroking).

It is almost as bad in the United States, where widespread corruption (including but not limited to massive organized crime infiltration) in the largest unions such as the Teamsters has reduced unions to something of a necessary evil, making it very easy for anti-labor propagandists to convince workers that they don't need a union; in fact, in some industries such as the recording industry, the very organization set up to protect the financial interests of their talent (RIAA, ASCAP, BMI) is controlled by the industry itself rather than by the musicians.

But let's face it, we live in an age of globalism, iBooks, blogs and cool. Who would need a union now we're all masters of our own destiny?