Advantages and Disadvantages of a Union free essay sample

This work will describe the advantages and disadvantages of a union for a cashier at Wal-Mart. It will present some ways a union could benefit the cashiers and also ways a union could be harmful to them. Unions could protect the cashiers from the abuse of the company. On the other hand, unions could also abuse in their demands hurting all the employees. Finally, this paper will show my viewpoint on the unions as beneficial or not to cashiers at Wal-Mart. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Union The word union evokes strength. However, when people talk about labor unions, the effects can be both positive and negative. Mathis and Jackson (2011) state, â€Å"union is a formal association of workers that promotes the interest of its members through collective actions† (p. 540). Cashiers at Wal-Mart have a lot of responsibility. First of all, they work with cash, products, prices, and, the most important, they work directly with customers providing service. We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of a Union or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page , Tthey have a key role in the store. The advantage of having a union at Wal-Mart for a cashier would be that the union would negotiate better pay and benefits for them. Some of the benefits for the cashiers are: 1. Cashiers have to deal with different type of customers and sometimes they encounter difficult situations. With these risks and conditions, a union can protect them from those working conditions and request to keep their work. (Not sure what you mean)Union could save them from certain customer’s complaints. 2. A way a union can be of benefit to a cashier is being the obvious in a pay increase or an above minimum wage salary to start. Another way would be time off or not working long hours, such as on special sales dates. The disadvantage would be, being pressured from co-workers to join a union and paying for something that a cashier may not believe in. The work environment becomes uncomfortable when an employee is asked continuously to join the union. The cashier’s choices should be respected. A union could be harmful for the cashiers in the following ways: 1. No room for growth within the company because of outsourcing employees that are not union. The personal desire of a cashier to advance in the same store can be blocked by the union. Apparently, unions just help to keep their same position. 2. By having to hire a lawyer to negotiate contracts of having a union at Wal-Mart. Cashiers would pay dues to the union for this purpose. In addition, these dues are deducted from the payroll, it is not a voluntary contribution and this hurts the economy of the employee. How much money get doesa union from all the employees? It is more than what is the needed to pay the lawyer. In conclusion, my personal point of view is that unions hurt the cashiers and the economy as a whole and not very good for the country. Unions promote laziness and conformity by thinking of earning more and working less. Today, unions are decreasing, According according to Mathis and Jackson (2011), â€Å"Unions may be victims of their own successes†¦. getting those important issues passed into law for everyone. Therefore, unions may no longer be seen as necessary† (p. 544). People think they are very beneficial. In fact, the coalition Wal-Mart Watch is helping the store to improve and provide the benefits to their cashiers and other employees to avoid the union. If a union continues to pressure a company for more pay and benefits, the company may not be able to sustain the demands and have to close its stores. We all know the win-win concept but that would be a lose-lose concept, the store will close and cashiers will not have employment. Case in point would be hostess Hostess and wonder bread Wonder Bread where they could not meet the demands of the union and had to close its doors. 95% Good points, well thought out. I indicated some grammar errors.