Abstract
The number of people working in the nonprofit sector has soared in America within the past 20 years. Even though memberships in unions have become stagnated, unions are increasingly targeting nonprofit employees to unionize. Unions are targeting nonprofits organization because sentiments about unions runs very strong in the for profit arena, and nonprofit employees are more in line with seeking what is fair and just. As the union tries to unionize We Care, as the Executive Director it is my responsibility to asset whether are not a union is the right thing for the organization. This paper will discuss the information that will be presented to the board based on my research on the whether or not We Care should unionize. In this paper the pros and cons of unionize will be discussed and ending with a recommendation on the whether or not to allow We Care to become a union shop to the Board.
Unionize Yes or No?
Introduction
A considerable number of nonprofit staff members work in the field because they want to bring about change in their community and city. Many nonprofit workers coach and mentor the participants in seeking union jobs. It is through these avenues that they learn how unions can help increase wages and begin to wonder if a union would be a good thing in their organization.
Some union such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal and Service Employees international Union view recruiting nonprofit organizations to unionize as a key to their survival. According to Hirsch and MacPherson (2003), membership in unions has been decreasing since the 1980’s because of city and state government privatization and lay-off of workers from those jobs. City and state government relinquish jobs once held by union workers to nonprofit organization. With state and local government battling budget cuts privatizing of once held union jobs will continue (Zieger & Gall, 2010).
Unions may have their own reason for recruiting non-profit organizations and nonprofit employees may be receptive to unionizing, however, the match between the two has not been harmonious. Within the last ten years unions have tried to organize a Chicago museum, a San Francisco social service agencies and a hospital in Boston (Western & Rosenfeld, 2011). The issues at these agencies differ, but the outcomes were the same, an atmosphere of acrimony that actually divided the agencies in two.
To Unionize or not to Unionize
As executive Director of We Care it is my responsibility to prepare a report to present to the board on the pros and cons of unionization, and to finally recommend whether or not We Care will become a union shop.
Pros of Unionization
There are many reasons to organize a union at We Care. Some of the highlights would be: 1). Union workers have higher wages; 2). Union workers have safer work environments; 3). Union workers can only be fired for just caused; and 4) Union workers with seniority get preference to open positions. From the standpoint of an executive director I have to decide if unionization is the best thing for the organization and for the employees. Following are more reasons why We Care should unionize.
Better Salaries
According to a report conducted in by Schmitt in 2010 the average salary for a full time union worker $917 while a nonunion worker performing the same job at a nonunion company earned $717.
Better Benefits
In 2010 93% of union workers had access to medical benefits compared to only 69% of workers who did not belong to a union (Schmitt, 2010). Union workers have protected lunch and break time, not so for nonunion workers. Unions provide access to benefits to unmarried, same or opposite sex couples. According to Schmitt (2010) union workers on am average have 89 percent of their health care covered by the employers compared to 69 percent for nonunion workers.
Job Security
Today many companies are employment at will, meaning that they can fire you for no particular
