Complete the assignment in 1 page:
Initial Post: Are unions obsolete? Why or why not?
First one is :
More and more unions are becoming less prevalent. As migrant workers enter the US with few demands, unions have begun to lose their power and popularity. According to The Washington examiner, the number of union members has been dropping over the years. Today, only about 11.3% of the workforce is employed with a union. Years ago, unions used to be the employment home of a larger majority (20%) of the workforce. Now that individuals (particularly those of working visas) are willing to work for lower wages, fewer compensations, fewer benefits, and more, unions have fallen in numbers. Employers are less willing to meet union demands with a new workforce entering the scene. With these new workers not asking for much workers compensation, unionized workers are losing their power over the employer and the conditions of their working lives. With this research, I have found that unions are becoming somewhat obsolete in the workforce. With faltering numbers and a new workforce coming into the picture, unions may cease to exist at some point in time. At this moment in time, union numbers have fallen, but they may rise again at some point in time depending of political matters pertaining to immigration laws. If immigration laws become more restrictive, then unions may become more prevalent again. If immigration laws continue as they have, I see unions becoming more obsolete.
Second one :
I would say that unions are obsolete because of all the advancements unions have made in the past. Unions would fight for hire wages, better hours, benefits, safe workplaces, and such. As a result, many laws have been established regarding each of these points including the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Employees have rights regarding wages and hours that they did not have a long time ago. Since the current working conditions have vastly improved and employees are mostly treated fairly by their employers, unions are not really needed to represent employees anymore. Another reason that unions are obsolete is because the U.S. economy has shifted from manufacturing industries to service industries. Unions traditionally represented employees in the manufacturing industry so the shift to service industries has contributed to the decline in union membership. Current members of the workforce do not appear to feel that they need representation through a union.