How do unions work?

What is a union?

A labor or trade union is an organization of workers dedicated to protecting members' interests and improving wages, hours and working conditions for all. The main purpose of a labor union is to give workers the power to negotiate for more favorable working conditions and other benefits through collective bargaining.

No matter what you do for a living, there's a union with members who do the same thing.

Collective Bargaining

Collective bargaining is the heart and soul of the labor union. Collective bargaining occurs when a group of people, such as the workforce at a company, bands together to increase its negotiating power. For instance, a single worker might feel that a certain new safety measure should be implemented in his factory, but he might have limited power to get the company to install the new measure. If the entire workforce is made aware of the need for the new measure and bands together to pressure the company to install it, there is a much greater chance that the company will comply. Labor unions join workers together, allowing the voices of individual workers to be heard and made into a goal of the whole union. Unionized workers typically elect representatives to bring their concerns to the union’s attention.

Unions work to make America strong

Unions work like a democracy. They hold elections for officers who make decisions on behalf of members, giving workers more power on the job.

A local union is a locally-based group of workers with a charter from a national or international union such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) or United Auto Workers (UAW). A local may include workers from the same company or region. It may also have workers from the same business sector, employed by different companies.

Want to know more?

Check out Eight Surprising Ways Unions Benefit Workers and the American Economy.