How Union Work

 How unions work 

It can be very difficult for a single worker to speak to management about a workplace problem (for example, forced overtime or late wages) and to resolve their difficulty individually – assuming they even have the confidence to raise the issue. Unions work on the principle that if all workers speak with the same voice, their concerns are more likely to be addressed. This involves union members in the same workplace getting together to talk about common problems, democratically taking collective decisions on workplace issues, and putting these views to the employer. 

Individual members usually elect someone to speak on their behalf – a shop ‘steward’ or ‘representative’ (rep) – and to discuss their concerns with management. Where the union has a recognition agreement with management (this is where the employer has agreed to negotiate with the union to set staff terms and conditions), they will have regular formal discussions. These negotiations are referred to as ‘collective bargaining’. Unions are financed through the individual contributions of their members. Unions continually seek to recruit members (encouraging new members to join by ‘organising’) and to build an active membership, as this gives unions stronger bargaining power in negotiations with employers.

Full Book : click here