Unions, like the UAW, lead employees into believing that if a union is elected in, then the union will negotiate with the company to get employees better wages, benefits and working conditions. But that is not the whole truth.
Yes, a company is required to bargain in 'good faith' if a union is elected, but the company does not have to agree to anything just because the union wants it, especially if it is not in the best interest of the company.
Bargaining can take months and even years, before employees even see a contract. Even then, unions have been known to agree to clauses not in the best interest of the employees in order to gain recognition and other clauses. And because neither side has to agree to any of the opposition's suggestions, no contract is settled on at all in some cases.
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that:
"...collective bargaining is potentially hazardous for employees and that as a result of such negotiations employees might possibly wind up with less after unionization than before."
There are no quick fixes and when it's all over, you could even end up with LESS than what you have right now.
The UAW's negotiations with American Axle, including the Three Rivers plant, made headlines in early 2008. The union put its over 3,500 members on the strike picket line for three months before ratifying a new contract.
Under the new contract, American Axle cut hourly wages by almost 40% and offered "buydown" payments of up to $105,000 over the next three years for workers who remained in return for accepting lower wages. |
