Reply #15: Unions need some major reform... [View All]

[mwooldri]

... they need to get more representation in workplaces.

Walmart may be very anti-union in the US but in the UK they've not much choice. Asda employees can be represented by GMB or USDAW, depending on where they are.

We can start off with Union-Lite.

That means to me:

1) Companies over 50 employees have to at least have relations with one union.
2) Employees have to have the right to join that union from Day 1 but must not be forced into joining it as a condition of employment.
3) In cases of Industrial Action, companies must protect their unionized workers jobs whilst they conduct a lawful strike (voted on by 50%+1 of union members at that company) but likewise union members who do not want to strike must have the ability to work.
4) Management must have the right to join the union too.

I'm sure there's problems with #3, mainly because I never came from a union background (though my dad was a union member at one point - and it saved his job) and I've never been driven to strike.

Over here, it seems like people are fixated on the 50% rule - got to have so many people want and sign up and vote to join and then actually join the union before a company would recognize the union. Unions can be effective in the workplace with much less representation than that, though obviously more workers that are union members the better. With Union representation you get skilled negotiators who can work with employers to get fair compensation for the workers. You get some form of job protection: I was reading about the story of a Asda worker who was initially fired for having £3.00 of change on her whilst on the shop floor, with access to the cash registers. She got reinstated through help of the union. I bet that same Wal-Mart worker in the USA would be out of their job, no-one to back up their case that they just forgot to put their lunch money away in their locker. However unions can save companies money - if they work together and communicate effectively.

Let's get the unions in the door - initially just acting as that advocate between the employee and the employer. 5% participation should do it...

Mark.