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MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT UNIONS |
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| MYTH: |
Unions are outside third parties that come in to a workplace. |
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| FACT: |
Unions are simply a collection of people with a common interest: a safe, secure job with guaranteed wages and benefits, as well as a real voice in their workplace and how it affects their lives. Unions elect leaders from within their ranks and are highly regulated by both the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. When workers form a union, they are claiming their right to negotiate with their employer on a level playing field over the things that affect them most: wages, benefits and working conditions! |
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| MYTH: |
Sub-standard workers are often coddled and protected by unions. |
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| FACT: |
In truth, most contracts contain procedures for disciplining and terminating employees for cause. Union contracts offer protection against unfair or unwarranted actions against workers, but only protect those who are truly being unjustly persecuted by their employers. |
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| MYTH: |
Union “bosses” direct their members on how to vote in elections. |
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| FACT: |
Dead wrong. Most unions endorse candidates, and like other organizations, attempt to explain why they think particular candidates would better address the needs of union members. The OVRCC concentrates on candidates and issues that affect the lives of working people across our state. |
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| MYTH: |
Labor unions are against free trade. |
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| FACT: |
Labor unions support fair trade. All parties must be on an even playing field or unfair advantages can lead to an undercutting of hard-won standards and a lowering of the quality of life for working people. |
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| MYTH: |
Paying union wage scales damages the competitiveness of employers. |
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| FACT: |
Actually, strong unions bring many benefits to participating employers. A stable pool of high skilled workers helps employers complete projects on time and within budget, and a focus on workplace safety—a hallmark of all good unions—can mean lower rates on insurance and workers compensation. Bringing a job in on time and under budget with a highly trained, skilled workforce allows this to happen time after time. Intense skill and safety training provided by unions allows higher profits at a lower cost to the end user. |
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| MYTH: |
Union membership is slowly withering away. |
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| FACT: |
In fact, there are more than 15 million union members in America today, or about one in 13 Americans of working age. But even this number grossly understates the situation. Research has shown that as many as 60 million Americans who don’t currently belong to a union would join one if given the chance. Unfortunately, many employers use fear tactics to discourage their workers from organizing unions in their workplace. |
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| MYTH: |
Employers will close their doors if workers unionize. |
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| FACT: |
Many studies over the last 50 years have shown that a union employer is no more likely to close than a non-union employer in the same industry. Unionized workers are entitled to negotiate a closing agreement with their employer, but the employer often must provide severance pay and extended benefits while workers search for other employment. |
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