Organized Labor

Issue

   In the past, organized labor (unions) have allowed workers to engage in collective bargaining agreements to attain higher pay, better working conditions, and acquire additional benefits. However, is allowing workers the ability to go on strike and "strong arm" their employers into negotiations that good of a policy for the nation?

Solution

   Union negotiations have contributed to the rising cost of products to the point that some goods have become unattainable and are no longer affordable for the average consumer. For example, the cost of an automobile has risen over the years due to higher wages and other benefits imposed by unions. The U.S. auto industry had to consider alternatives such as moving jobs overseas, or fully automating plants, to lower costs in order to stay competitive.

   Another concern is that when unions go on strike, they may negatively affect the rest of the nation that don't benefit from their negotiations. For example, transportation-related unions (e.g., railway, shipping, trucking) have enormous influence on a number of products due to directly affecting their supply chain. If any of these groups go on strike, it causes a cascading effect on other industries that don't directly benefit from the union's demands. This causes an unfair amount of influence that a particular union has on the rest of the nation.

   From a legal perspective, union workers who go on strike with the intention to threaten companies to meet their demands or their businesses will fail, is essentially extortion. Legislation needs to be considered that will allow the Justice Department to file charges against striking workers, or the issue of their criminal conduct may never be resolved.

   There are approximately 15 million union workers in America that has a population of over 340 million. Should so few dictate the welfare of everyone else?