Introduction
The Washington Policy Center article “Another Day, More Threats and Intimidation from Unions” by Erin Shannon (2017) explored the problematic negotiations of government worker contracts, especially in terms of their transparency. The overall tone of the article is hostile to unions as organizations in general, perpetuating the stereotype that all that they do is intimidate and threaten local governments and taxpayers to push their agenda. The article will be used for further analysis to identify examples of misconceptions pertaining to the coverage of unions in media and thus make conclusions as to whether publications present an accurate image of unions as entities.
Do Unions Use Intimidation?
The first myth that dominated Shannon’s (2017) article is associated with the misconception that unions use intimidation and coercion as a means to gain new members or achieve other objectives. However, as mentioned in the fact sheet regarding the uncovering of union myths, it is often employers that threaten, intimidate, and coerce workers into not joining unions (“Issue sheet 2,” 2008). Wage cuts, the limitations of promotional opportunities, and even permanent dismissal are among the most-frequently-used tactics that employers use to make workers less interested in unions’ winning.
In the article, the myth of intimidation was linked to the increased transparency within the process of collective bargaining in Tukwila School Districts, Washington. The author suggested that transparency was unwanted within unions and that “the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) meant nothing to the special interests of organized labor” (Shannon, 2017, para. 2). It was mentioned that the unions did not believe that taxpayers contributing to their financial well-being had the right to engage in the negotiating process.
Furthermore, Shannon (2017) stated that despite the fact the public was instrumental in providing money for agreements among unions and governments, the executives of unions would like to preserve the secrecy of important and costly expenses until the last moment came. Therefore, it was suggested that the requirements of adopting employee transparency were significantly overlooked by unions and that they perpetuated unfair practices such as intimidation to block the efforts of reaching maximum accountability and honesty of negotiations.
Do Unions Make Unreasonable Demands?
The second myth that was found when reading the Washington Policy Center article is concerned with the misconception that unions make unreasonable demands and only want to ask for more money from taxpayers. The myth is usually debunked by the fact that although financial support is extremely valuable to unions, the key focus is reaching a high rate of non-wage benefits, job security, safety in the workplace, fair conditions of employment, the respect for diverse workers, and equality (“Issue sheet 2,” 2008). Such a misconception occurred because of the need to support the activities of unions financially and thus enhance the quality of negotiations.
The tone of the article was developed in such a way that the author continuously underlined the greed of unions to get more money and avoid being transparent (Shannon, 2017). For example, the author wrote, “labor unions are the definition of a moneyed special interest” (Shannon, 2017, para. 10). Such a representation of unions in media is extremely harmful and does not show them in a favorable light. The author failed to address the fact that there were a large number of employers that stood against any improvements suggested to them by unions. It means that it is often hard to sustain the culture of effective negotiations among unions and employers, especially without substantial financial support for unions.
Do Unions Force Members to Pay Fees?
The third and last myth associated with labor unions is that they force all members to pay fees. However, nowhere in the article did the author mention that fees sustained the advantages unions granted to their members. It is essential to note that unions do not force anyone to join, but paying fees is essential for maintaining the ābenefit for benefit’ culture ā in order to enjoy the positive effects of unions, their members should contribute to them financially.
In addition to this, the structure of unions is similar to the concept of paying taxes. For instance, citizens are required to pay federal, provincial, and other taxes regardless of whether or not they voted for the political party in office (“Issue sheet 2,” 2008). This concept is similar to unions ā regardless of who leads them, every employee is protected and has an equal opportunity of receiving the benefits outlined in contracts.
A specific quote from the article should be mentioned in regards to the myth. Shannon (2017) wrote, “after all, they [unions] get all their money from workers who are held hostage by compulsory unionism, and they use that money to protect and perpetuate the forced-unionism gravy train” (para. 10). Undoubtedly, the attitude of the author to unions’ collecting fees from workers is extremely negative, and it can be explained by the lack of understanding of why it occurs. Shannon (2017) failed to address the fact that in order for workers to benefit from unions, they should contribute to them financially.
Based on the analysis of the article written for the Washington Policy Center, several findings should be noted. First, the author of the article had an overall negative tone when describing the activity of the union, which showed that reporters were not afraid of perpetuating misconceptions about unions however damaging and misleading they could be. The tone of the article was biased and did not align with the idea that news reporters should be impartial and present the audience with facts to allow them to make their own decisions.
Second, there were three myths on labor unions found in the article. Prior to the analysis of the report, there were some doubts on whether a six-hundred-word article could contain three examples associated with myths about unions. The following myths were found: “unions use coercion or intimidation,” “unions force everyone to pay fees,” and “unions always make unreasonable demands and only want more money” (“Issue sheet 2,” 2008, p. 2).
Despite the fact that the author shed light on the issue of transparency in negotiations between unions and the government, the phrases and the overall tone of the article were negative and showed that media had a tendency of perpetuating union misconceptions.
Third, the fact that news and independent reporters perpetuate misconceptions about unions is likely to affect the perspectives that the general public has. Although there are disadvantages to labor unions, it is important to be neutral and allow employees to make their own decisions on whether they should join or not. Overall, the report was biased and did not allow for many considerations in terms of presenting information about union affairs.
References
Issue sheet 2: Want the straight goods on unions? Check the facts: Uncovering union myths. (2008). Web.
Shannon, E. (2017). Another day, more threats and intimidation from unions. Washington Policy Center. Web.