How Small Business Benefits From Supporting Labor Unions

For a short time I worked as a union officer for the office workers' union at Walt Disney studios. It was a very educational experience and one thing I learned is that people have a strange attitude about the relationship between unions and business management. All too many business managers think of the union as their enemy, and unfortunately too many union members think the same thing about management. The sad part of it is, both sides are working toward the same goals. Employees need to be working for a successful and prosperous company and the company needs to be a place where employees can be happy and productive.

In today's business climate this partnership is even more crucial. We have a problem in this nation - too many gigantic corporations are hogging all of the business, putting smaller business owners out of business. And these corporations don't hire the union employees. Instead they outsource the jobs to foreign countries where they can get labor for pennies on the dollar.

Unions were originally formed to protect employees from the abuses of large companies. It is beneficial, I believe, for small business owners to support this fair play because in the process of promoting fair play for labor, they are also promoting fair play for business in general. Without mentioning names, the largest retailer in the nation has been accused of busting unions so they could continue to pay lower wages and less benefits. This same company sells products which are manufactured largely in China and this practice has cost a large number of American jobs. When this company moves into a new locality, small business owners go out of business. Small business and labor are both victims of the same corporate greed.

If small business owners could team up with labor, they could fight this evil together. It requires some sense of responsibility on both sides. Union members cannot expect a local furniture store, for example, to pay the same wages as they would expect somebody like GMC to pay. And the small business owner has to realize that it is this employee who is helping him to make a success of his venture. That employee cannot do his best work if he is worrying about foreclosure or eviction because his wages don't cover the basic cost of housing. The trick is for both labor and management to make small business's prosperous and then share that prosperity.

If you are a small business owner and your employees express a desire to form a union, my suggestion is, talk to them and to the union officials and see how you can make it into a mutually satisfactory partnership. If an employee comes to you with a grievance, don't think of it as a personal attack. Think of it as an invitation to open up a dialogue to resolve small problems before they escalate. On the same token, if you are an employee, don't think of the union as your way to stick it to your boss. Think of them as a tool to help you to help your boss become more prosperous and share his success with you.

Sure, unions have had their problems. There have been instances of corruption and abuses toward business. But for the most part, they are a good thing - not only for employees, but for the business community as a whole. Let's use them as the beneficial tool they were designed to be.

Ron Coleman is retired and spends most of his time working as a freelance cartoonist and writer. He has served as a union officer in the office workers union at Disney Studios and has sold several pro-union cartoons to labor publications. His work can be seen on his website: http://www.coleman-cartoons.com

---

Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing

PolicyFederal Fair Housing accessibility requirements for new multifamily buildings should... Read More

The U.S. Department of Justice vs. the Realty Industry, and Its Effect on Consumers

From the National Association of Realtors' Virtual Office Website policy,... Read More

The Delicate Art of Balancing The Budget

Government budgets represent between 25% and 50% of he Gross... Read More

Look! America Take a Look!

I heard on the news this week how America continues... Read More

The Public Is Enemy Number One

There is something egregiously wrong about a government that will... Read More

Gas Prices and the Impact of Inflation

Year Item Price Rate of Inflation 03/80 Gasoline (per gallon)... Read More

The Wall of Honor

Many Americans have children, fathers, mothers, grandparents, other family members... Read More

Is Reinstating The Draft Such a Bad Idea?

In his bid for the presidency, John Kerry pronounced a... Read More

Retirement Age Will Have To Be Raised Since People Are Living Longer

With people living longer we have some problems as those... Read More

To Grow Out Of Unemployment

There is a connection between economic growth and unemployment. There... Read More

Banana Republic - United Kingdom

The recent scathing remarks by High Court Judge Richard Mawrey... Read More

Monetary Flows, Consumer Debt, Policy, Trade Deficit and Reality

America has some monetary issues, which need to be addressed.... Read More

Government Workers and Lawyers Revolving Door Rule Needed

We need more oversight and transparency in government. We need... Read More

FTC Franchise Disclosure Law Invites Violations; Do Not Call Lists

The Federal trade Commission has a rule, which says that... Read More

How Futuristic Is Anarchy As A Way To Organize The State (I)

When organising a country or a group of people in... Read More

Population Control and Water Supply Issues

As we increase our populations every new soul will require... Read More

Global Initiative of Electronic Commerce Taxation; Guiding Principles for Pakistan

1. United States of America (USA)In the United States, legislation... Read More

Mommas, Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Lobbyists

For many years now, I have been the proud holder... Read More

Media and the Iraq War, Some Random Thoughts Indeed 2001

Here are some miscellaneous thoughts on issues many of which... Read More

Global/Israeli Corruption!

What depth of blind insanity has inflicted itself upon Israel's... Read More

Governments Worst Agency

Everyone knows the United States Government often falls down in... Read More

Vision India - 2025 (Expectations of an Ordinary Person)

IntroductionThe way one lyrist has written, "Hum logo ko samajh... Read More

Paper Industry

The paper industry in the US is hurting. Due to... Read More

Mass Transportation Efficiencies and Price Per Rider Theories

Having redundancies and today's technologies in transportation we have protected... Read More

Eminent Domain Suggested as Cost Saving Measure in DC

Washington DC council member David Catania actually suggested that the... Read More

End Of History? Not Quite

A visitor to Moscow would be immediately struck by the... Read More

World Moving from Socialism to Capitalism

The recent Jakarta summit of Asia and Africa brought remembrance... Read More

Doorstops and Paperweights

Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has... Read More

Faith in Our Government

Many have lost faith in the government and are completely... Read More

The Protocols of Sion #1

There is a lot of debate about who made the... Read More

Feeling Squeezed by Political Correctness

I'm starting to feel squeezed by all the political correctness... Read More

The Reconstruction of Europe

The Second World War was the continuation of World War... Read More

Battling Societys Cancer: Unemployment

The official figures are staggering: 35% of the workforce -... Read More