Attention: Philadelphia Area Union Community
Why Hire Union Workers?
In an economy that has put a dent in everyone's pocketbook and with the cost of union labor often being substantially higher than that of non-union workers, in this day and age why should employers, project managers, etc. want to hire union workers instead of the cheaper alternative? Well, that is a question that each union member should always keep in mind the second they are hired to do a job.
FROM THE EMPLOYER'S PERSPECTIVE:
As a union employee, it is vital that one understands both sides of the issue including the challenges and objectives of the businesses and employers that hire you. The fact of the matter is that the goals of a business are to produce a quality product and/or provide a service, to operate as efficiently as possible and to generate profits. If an employer cannot accomplish those objectives, there is literally no reason to be in business. Now let's break it down a bit further and put yourself in the employer's shoes. As a business owner, more often than not, you have risked your entire financial existence for your business. Therefore, in order to minimize the risk of losing everything and maximize your opportunity for success, you absolutely must run as efficiently as possible -- which means, in the most cost-conscious manner possible, you must purchase everything you need in order to do business and compete in your industry while at the same time hiring the most qualified staff/employees also in the most cost-effective manner possible.
Also, as a business owner, let's not forget the time it takes to operate your own business and the fact that with every new day tons of issues can and do arise that, if not handled properly, could eat away at potential profits or even put the business itself in jeopardy. This is why employees are the life blood of any successful business. In the professional arena, there are entire departments in companies, called HR/Human Resource Departments, that are dedicated to screening, interviewing and hiring employees to make sure the right people are hired for the job. It's a science that many companies pay a lot of money to perfect because they know that no matter how much they try, a business cannot succeed without the proper personnel. All of this brings us back to the question at hand: Why in the world would a business want to hire more expensive union workers?
FROM A UNION MEMBER'S PERSPECTIVE:
Being a part of a union often means that you are part of an organization that, through collective bargaining and good faith negotiations over many years, has secured positive conditions for their members that include fair wages, safe working conditions, healthcare benefits, retirement plans/annuities/401K and more.
BOTTOM LINE: GIVE 'EM A REASON TO "WANT" TO HIRE UNION! UNION QUALITY AND WORK ETHIC ARE WHY EMPLOYERS SHOULD WANT TO HIRE UNION WORKERS!
As proud union members, we need companies/employers to hire union workers because they "want" to hire us, not just because they have to. As union members we want to solidify and preserve the union standards that previous generations of union brothers and sisters have worked so hard to obtain for us by working harder, by building a better product, by providing a better service, by being better trained and more skilled than the non-union workers and BY SIMPLY BEING THE BEST WORK FORCE POSSIBLE so that we can ensure our union standards now and into the future as our forefathers did for us. As union members, we need to have the pride to do the job better than the rest! The future of our industry depends on it!
TAKE ACTION:
Please feel free to respond, comment or to give your perspective on "Why Hire Union Workers?"
Sincerely,
Joe Dougherty
President, PhillyLabor.com
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Role of Unions and Their Members in Local Politics
There are many different opinions regarding the role of local unions and union members related to politics in today's political climate. Some unions dedicate a large portion of their resources and man power to impact their local political stature and others are more passive.
However, one thing is for sure, as demonstrated by geographical regions throughout the United States, those regions whose unions/members are more active on the political front have a much higher success rate and presence in their communities than those that don't. Thus, the viability and the strength of any local union community goes hand in hand with it's political impact and presence.
In layman's terms, this is because local and state politicians and legislators are much more apt to consider the position of organized labor when confronted with issues such as "Rite to Work" type legislation if that local union community has committed themselves to a grassroots political movement that can actually impact the political landscape in their region.
LEADERSHIP
As demonstrated in the Philadelphia region, it is vital for a local union movement to have active, knowledgeable and strong leadership at the top of the leadership ladder in order to keep large numbers of unions, many who have different industry related issues, active and moving in the same general direction.
Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President, Pattrick Eiding is certainly an outstanding example of a labor leader who is more than dedicated to leading the local union movement in to the future. He is knowledgeable of the unique challenges and needs of the over 100 Philadelphia area local unions that he represents and has a tireless commitment to working with all of our local union leaders to keep them informed and focused on common goals and agendas.
RANK AND FILE UNION MEMBERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
However, make no mistake about it, no matter how important is to have good leadership, it is the rank and file union members who ultimately have the strongest political impact particularly at the grass roots level. Without the members, the message can not be transmitted, the presence can not be felt and the votes can not be registered. Sure it's easy to sit back and rest on the efforts of others to relay the message, but it's the responsibility of each and every union member to keep abreast of their union's political agenda and at the same time be willing to contribute to carryout the agenda set forth by their union's leadership which further demonstrates the words of JFK in a slightly edited fashion, "Ask not what your "union" can do for you, ask what you can do for your "union" both in the work place and on the political landscape"! Our Future Literally Depends on it!
Joe Dougherty
PhillyLabor.com
However, one thing is for sure, as demonstrated by geographical regions throughout the United States, those regions whose unions/members are more active on the political front have a much higher success rate and presence in their communities than those that don't. Thus, the viability and the strength of any local union community goes hand in hand with it's political impact and presence.
In layman's terms, this is because local and state politicians and legislators are much more apt to consider the position of organized labor when confronted with issues such as "Rite to Work" type legislation if that local union community has committed themselves to a grassroots political movement that can actually impact the political landscape in their region.
LEADERSHIP
As demonstrated in the Philadelphia region, it is vital for a local union movement to have active, knowledgeable and strong leadership at the top of the leadership ladder in order to keep large numbers of unions, many who have different industry related issues, active and moving in the same general direction.
Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President, Pattrick Eiding is certainly an outstanding example of a labor leader who is more than dedicated to leading the local union movement in to the future. He is knowledgeable of the unique challenges and needs of the over 100 Philadelphia area local unions that he represents and has a tireless commitment to working with all of our local union leaders to keep them informed and focused on common goals and agendas.
RANK AND FILE UNION MEMBERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
However, make no mistake about it, no matter how important is to have good leadership, it is the rank and file union members who ultimately have the strongest political impact particularly at the grass roots level. Without the members, the message can not be transmitted, the presence can not be felt and the votes can not be registered. Sure it's easy to sit back and rest on the efforts of others to relay the message, but it's the responsibility of each and every union member to keep abreast of their union's political agenda and at the same time be willing to contribute to carryout the agenda set forth by their union's leadership which further demonstrates the words of JFK in a slightly edited fashion, "Ask not what your "union" can do for you, ask what you can do for your "union" both in the work place and on the political landscape"! Our Future Literally Depends on it!
Joe Dougherty
PhillyLabor.com
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