Question

What is the “union advantage”? What are its major benefits?

Answer 1

Union advantage offers a legal document that defines hours of work, wages and other conditions of employment; establish procedures for the resolution of disputes. Union contracts help everyone treated fairly and equally on the job. Workers with unions earn an average of 25 percent more than do workers without a union. 73 percent of union members in the private industry get health benefits on the job, compared with about half of workers without unions.

Benefits:

1. Higher wages. On average unionized workers are paid 23 percent more than those who aren’t members of a union. The union advantage is considerably higher for lower-paid occupations and women.

2. Greater equality. Workplaces are more equitable with relatively higher wages for lower-paid workers and less of a wage gap for women, younger workers, and racialized workers. Unions also recognized for increasing equality across society overall.

3. Pensions/benefits. Approx 70 percent of union members have access to a workplace pension than non-union workers. Union members have better health and other benefits.

4. Training and education. Training and education is a major priority for unions and also extensively provided by unions themselves.

5. Transparency and equitable due process. Wages are set by common wage scales. And the arbitration procedures provide for due process over disputes.

6. Workplace democracy. Unions provide democratic organizations their workplaces, communities and in the wider world.