Collective Bargaining
Collective bargaining is the heart and soul of the labor union. Collective bargaining occurs when a group of people, such as the workforce at a company, bands together to increase its negotiating power. For instance, a single worker might feel that a certain new safety measure should be implemented in his factory, but he might have limited power to get the company to install the new measure. If the entire workforce is made aware of the need for the new measure and bands together to pressure the company to install it, there is a much greater chance that the company will comply. Labor unions join workers together, allowing the voices of individual workers to be heard and made into a goal of the whole union. Unionized workers typically elect representatives to bring their concerns to the union’s attention.
Workplace Safety
When labor costs more, employers invest more in training and equipment, which improves workplace morale and boosts productivity. When workers are taken care of, everyone benefits. The antagonism between business and organized labor is not inevitable.But when employees are considered disposable, businesses can become less interested in protecting them. Employees also may lack someone to intervene on their behalf with management on safety issues when there is no union representation.When workplaces become organized, the need for cooperation becomes more obvious. Companies recognize that they can take steps to make a stable workforce more safe, productive and effective, through training, better equipment, and making better use of their knowledge. Unions, in turn, increasingly recognize the needs of employers to be responsive to customers and competitive in their markets. In some sectors, having a company story that involves union workers and living wages may be a competitive advantage commercially.
Higher Wages
One of the top benefits of being a union worker is that you enjoy a better wage as compared to your non-union counterparts. Union workers get about 20 percent more in terms of wages (not including benefits) compared to others in similar jobs that aren’t supported by a union. Union workers are also more likely to enjoy consistent pay raises on a regular basis. This is due to collective bargaining between the union (on behalf of the employees) and the employer that results in an agreement setting out clear terms regarding pay and wages. With a non-union job, the employer can set the wage without any formal bargaining process or input from the employee.
Better Benefits
On average, union workers are more likely to enjoy better benefits compared to non-union employees. That includes health, retirement accounts, and paid sick leave. According to a 2013 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pension coverage for unionized workers is significantly higher than for non-union workers: in the public sector 78 percent of union workers have pensions (67 percent in the private sector), in contrast to a mere 13 percent of non-union workers in the private sector. Again, union representatives work out these details as a part of the collective bargaining agreement with the employer.
Your Representative
One other key benefit of working as a union employee is that union representatives work on your behalf if you have a personal issue with the employer. Non-union employees have to contact the company’s human resources department for assistance, but it’s important to keep in mind that the department is part of the company, not a representative of the workers. Meeting with a boss and the employer’s HR representative can make an employee with feel outnumbered and vulnerable. Having a union representative evens out that balance of power.
Labor unions and human resources work together during negotiations and when implementing the terms of a final agreement. Labor unions generally represent the employee and HR represents the company, but this does not mean that they are necessarily at odds any more than employees and employers are. Instead, each is working to get the best outcome possible for the people or entity that they represent.
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Bargaining
Bargaining happens as labor unions and companies try to reach an agreement on employee pay, vacation time, health insurance, and other benefits. Traditionally, this is an adversarial negotiation, but HR can play a role in changing this. Interest-based bargaining involves each party working to understand the position of the other and trying to find mutually beneficial solutions. In the case of employees and employers, each needs the other and each is in a better situation if the other is happy with the final outcome. Labor unions and HR can work together to help ensure that this continues to be the case. For example, employees who have a good work-life balance may be more productive. This means that both parties would benefit from a policy that limits overtime. Good health care benefits may actually lead to lower absenteeism, which benefits companies, since employees will be more likely to get treatment for conditions before they become serious.
Related Resource: 20 Companies With the Best Benefits
Dealing With Grievances
The agreement that labor unions and employees make is the basis for the relationship between the two. However, once the agreement is implemented, in practice, there will be grievances along the way. This is where HR has the opportunity to step in and deal with labor relations in a way that will benefit both the employee and the company. As an article in the HR Daily Advisor suggests, the first step for HR in managing grievances is to offer training opportunities for both stewards and supervisors. This can provide many of the tools and the knowledge needed to avoid some grievances altogether. When grievances do arise, HR can work to find a mutually advantageous solution that takes the needs of both parties into account.
Communication
Communication is key to effective labor relations, and this is one of the most important functions HR can provide when labor unions and human resources work together. HR can work to facilitate better cooperation and communication between labor and management. Conflicts between the two are not necessarily rooted in management wishing to withhold rewards or benefits from employees. For example, management might be concerned about policies that prevent them from rewarding individual employees with merit-based raises. HR can play a key role in ensuring there is good communication between management and labor about the concerns on both sides and how this might be resolved. HR can also organize regular meetings between management and union representatives and can offer guidance to both sides.
Identifying common goals is one key in successful cooperation between labor unions and HR. Ultimately, it benefits both sides when employees and employers are successful. When labor unions and human resources work together, they can achieve successes that neither would be as likely to do on their own.
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Union Contracts Dated 2010 to 2014 Analyzed for Mechanisms That Advance Health of Employees and Their Families: Pacific Northwest, United States
| Contract ID No. | Union | Employer | Workforce | Date of Contract | No. of Pages |
| 242.1 | Washington & Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers | Associated General Contractor of Washington | Construction and demolition | June 21, 2012 | 36 |
| 242.2 | Washington & Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers | Various, unnamed | Construction and demolition | 2013–2016 | 32 |
| 242.3 | Seattle/King County Building and Construction Trades Council | Seattle School District | Construction and demolition | March 23, 2010 | 30 |
| 775.1 | SEIU Healthcare 775NW | Addus Healthcare—Washington | Home health care | May 8, 2014 | 48 |
| 775.2 | SEIU Healthcare 775NW | Amicable Healthcare, Chesterfield Health Services, Concerned Citizens, Korean Women’s Association | Home health care | April 8, 2014 | 66 |
| 775.3 | SEIU Healthcare 775NW | State of Washington | Home health care | July 1, 2013 | 35 |
| 775.4 | SEIU Healthcare 775NW | Res-Care Washington | Home health care | April 4, 2014 | 49 |
| 775.5 | SEIU Healthcare 775NW | Catholic Community Services | Home health care | July 1, 2014 | 39 |
| 925.1 | Childcare Guild of Local 925, SEIU | Association of Childcare Employers | Child care | September 1, 2011 | 40 |
| 925.2 | SEIU Local 925 | Community Development Institute Head Start | Child care | October 27, 2013 | 17 |
| 117.1 | Teamster Local No. 117 | Golden States Food Transportation | Transportation | November 14, 2014 | 38 |
| 117.2 | Teamster Local No. 117 | King County | Professional and technical and administrative support | October 30, 2012 | 102 |
| 117.3 | Teamster Local No. 118 | Safeway Inc | Warehouse | July 10, 2011 | 45 |
| 21.1 | UFCW Local 21 | Allied Employers Inc Grocery | Grocery stores | May 5, 2013 | 71 |
| 21.2 | UFCW Local 22 | Allied Employers Inc Meat Dealers | Grocery stores | May 6, 2013 | 54 |
| 8.1 | UNITE HERE Local 8 | The Westin Seattle Hotel | Hospitality | July 1, 2013 | 38 |