Myth: Unions are for blue-collar workers.
Reality: The problems facing education workers aren't so different from other parts of the work force - long hours, poor benefits, limited job security and career mobility. The number of white collar professionals in unions has been increasing steadily over the last several decades. Engineers at Lockheed-Martin and Boeing, researchers with advanced degrees at the University of California, and professional airline pilots are some examples. Even medical doctors have started their own union, to act collectively in negotiations with HMO's. As the high-tech economy slumps and megamergers are on the rise, high-tech workers need the collective power of a union to make sure their interests are represented. Faculty unions find common cause with other trade unions across the country, and work together to fight for the rights of all employees.
Myth: Workers are already protected enough by the legal system.
Reality: Without a union or a bargained contract, U.S. law considers all workers "At Will" employees. Simply, stated, an "at will" worker can legally be fired at any time and for no reason ... totally at the will and mercy of the employer. Only a bargained union contract gives you the same "due process" rights at work you have as a citizen generally.
Myth: Unions regularly force workers to go on strike.
Reality: Strikes are actually very rare. The chances that you'll go on strike over any given contract is about the same as the chances of the space shuttle blowing up at any given launch. (1 to 2%) The chances are much, much greater that you will end up with a fair contract. The only reason strikes leap to mind is that business' stress the fact that they could happen in order to scare employees, the media loves to cover them, and the labor movement glorifies them. The real work, negotiating and signing contracts, may lack the drama, but is more important to workers and their families.
Myth: Unions are undemocratic and don't really represent their members.
Reality: All union officials must stand for election. Candidates for each position are nominated by you and the other members and then an election is held. It's direct democracy. In the event of a contract negotiation, members of the negotiating team are selected democratically, and any contract must be ratified by a secret ballot vote before it is enacted.
Myth: Unions are corrupt.
Reality: Corporations are far more likely than unions to be guilty of corruption. Studies conducted between 1978 and 1982 demonstrated that less than 1% of union locals had corruption problems. During this period, 445 referrals were made to the Justice Department, resulting in 261 convictions. This was out of a total of 350,000 union filings by 50,000 labor organizations - "a 0.1% referral rate and a 0.07% conviction rate." Furthermore, the "primary sources of [the information leading to conviction] were self-disclosure by unions on their annual financial reports, tips or complaints from union officials... Thus, unions themselves discovered and disclosed much of the misconduct..." (Elboar, Gold: The Criminalization of Union Activity 1985) According to a 1980 Fortune Magazine survey, 11% of corporations were found to have engaged in acts such as "bribery, criminal fraud, illegal political contributions, tax evasion, and criminal anti-trust violations."
Myth: Unions force companies into bankruptcy.
Reality: Unions do not ask for more in a contract than a company can afford. They know that the worst possible disservice that a union could do to its membership is to drive the company they work for out of business. In fact, during hard financial times, most unions will do everything in their power to help companies stay in business. The most famous example of this is the Chrysler bailout in the 80's - pressure from both Chrysler and the UAW led the federal government to give Chrysler the loans that saved the company. Also, concessions during this time by the union enabled Chrysler to turn the corner and become one of the most profitable companies in the world today.
Myth: Unions give workers another boss to answer to.
Reality: Actually, management reserves all "boss" functions (management's rights) in a contract. So you won't have to check with "the union" to go on vacation, justify being late, or any hiring or firing situations. What the union does do in these situations is to advocate for you if you feel that management's decisions are unfair. For example, if you aren't given a vacation you deserve, the union will do what it can to rectify the situation working with management. The process by which they do this is spelled out in the contract.
Myth: Union dues are a hardship.
Reality: Union members set their own dues amounts so together you can effectively insure that gains in the contract will have greater value than the amount paid per month in dues. It's your union, and you can have a voice. Look around at your working conditions, pay, benefits and job security without a union. Your lack of satisfaction in those areas is the "non-union dues" you already pay to your employer.
Union representation brings negotiations over wages and benefits
into the open, and helps ensure that employers rely on objective
factors--skill, effort and responsibility-- to set pay rates. Unions
markedly boost wages for all represented workers, especially for those
most likely to encounter discrimination in pay or other employment
terms.