Higher wages
Securing higher wages for workers have always been the top priority of unions. Working together to form a union, workers can leverage their labor to secure higher wages through the process of collective bargaining, Wages are never negotiated down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports non-union workers earn just 83% of what unionized workers earn ($975/week vs. $1,169/week).
Examples of Teamsters Local 238 successes:
Examples of Teamsters Local 238 successes:
- The Teamsters Union votes to ratify three year agreement with ADM (Nov. 2022)
- An immediate 6% across the board raise the first year
- A $5,000 contract ratification bonus
- 40 hours of sick leave, plus 8 additional hours of personal leave
- Additional premium pay for many classifications
- UPS TEAMSTERS TO RECEIVE $0.82 COLA INCREASE (National, Aug. 2022)
- $1.82 per hour raise
- Railroad workers secure major contract wins (National, Sep. 2022)
- 24% raise over five years
- An immediate 14% raise with back pay dating back to 2020
- $1,000 a year ratification bonus for five-years
A Say in workplace Policy
It's no secret, IDT's new attendance policy was not designed with workers in mind. With a union, the new attendance policy is on the bargaining table and new policies have to be fair and consistent with the collective bargaining agreement. Unilateral policy changes, like we just experienced, can't happen.
A Fair, transparent, and Understandable path for promotion
As is the case with IDTs arbitrary enforcement of certain company disciplinary policies, promotion procedures and standards can frequently be inconsistent and arbitrary. Oftentimes seniority is less important than being in a good spot with management. IDT needs a promotion procedure that takes all aspects of an employees relationship with the company into account. The procedure needs to be transparent and fair for all employees. A union contract gives us the ability to secure a fair, transparent, and understandable path to promotion for all operations employees.
a formal, fair, and binding process for resolving grievances
Securing a grievance and arbitration procedure is among the top priorities of a union. Unions seek to create clear guidelines for the fair treatment of all employees. A grievance procedure does this formally in a contractually binding agreement between workers and employer that details how disagreements and complaints must be resolved. It is an internal process, secured by workers that is tried and true! It takes the final say out of the hands of the employer and allows employees their “day in court” in front of an impartial arbitrator. The union represents you during this process. Common examples of grievances include disputes involving the payment of wages, unsafe working conditions, changing job duties, improper disciplinary actions, and other issues.
Less discrimination in the workplace
Collective bargaining agreements (union contracts) units further outline and strengthen anti-discrimination clauses in company policy by making them legally binding. Many union employees feel safer voicing concerns and reporting instances of discrimination. With the support of a union and a union contract, management tends to act quicker and more decisively to halt and resolve instances of workplace harassment and discrimination.
job security
Without a union, workers operate as “at-will” employees. This means you can be fired for any reason deemed appropriate by management, even if their reasoning holds no basis in your conduct. With a union, this power by management is eliminated. You are given clear reasons for termination within an outlined timeframe of termination; and if this reasoning is invalid, the union is on your side. A union can greatly help you keep your job and insure that if you are terminated, it is with respect and on our terms.
Better benefits
Unions have in the past been able secured for their members the option to have a pension instead of a 401k when negotiating new contracts. While little is ever certain in contract negotiations, a union would, at the very least, bring about the possibility of a pension benefit option. Without a union, benefit negotiations are always one-sided. Union employers contribute more to their employee’s health care benefits. Union employers pay 86% of workers’ health care premiums while nonunion employers pay 79% of their workers’ health care premiums. (Source)
Reducing the wage gap
Unions greatly help decrease the gender and racial wage gap through collective bargaining. According to the Department of Labor, unionized women make 94% of the male dollar compared to non-unionized women at 78%. Hourly wages for women represented by a union are 5.8% higher on average than for nonunionized women with comparable characteristics.
Lower Turnover
Research has shown that unions reduce turnover, which increases worker productivity. Experience matters. For example, there are unionized Ford plants in the U.S. that rival the productivity found in the top-performing Toyota plants.
