Introduction
Primarily, under normal social scenario, people consider ethics a life value. In many occasions, ethics encompasses individual, faction or societal politics at the expense of meeting organizational values. These values must represent fairness to all members and social harmony. Unlike individualism, ethics provides a platform of collective organizational responsibility whether in communal or business levels.
In ethics, people learn how to relate with each other and perform duties either independently or jointly. Personal, group or communal ethics is necessary for social development. If a society decides to perform a communal activity, ethics is necessary among its members, in order to meet their expectations. In the past, there were no groups and instead, people liked to work as individuals.
At the dawn of civilization, workers realized deprivation of their rights by their employers. A union was necessary to avert this scenario. Unions can be either of trade or of labor groups. A union is an assemblage of people with the same targets. Workers can join hands to push for better working conditions.
Instead of collective responsibility, these workers can elect members who will bargain on their behalf. Additionally, union leaders can negotiate wage increase, abhorring of some work rules, enact hiring and complaint policies, defend unnecessary contact termination and ensure safety at workplaces. These are some of the reasons that make unions important business collaborates hence; successful business management. (Weil 20-26).
Ethical Issue
During the industrial revolution age, people had little skills hence could not perform some tasks, which required professionalism. Therefore, employers used this opportunity to exploit workers. Employers underpaid and mistreated their employees. There was no ethics in them, as they enjoyed doing it while maximizing their profits. At the dawn of civilization, European workers decided to form unions to fight for their rights.
Though disorganized until the end of 19th century, the unions fought to work in fewer hours and wage increase. Thus, unions became fundamental in organizing and protecting employee rights. Through them, workers could voice out their demands in order to maintain job dignity and security. Thus, to promote business ethics, unions are very important. Successful business opportunities take employee interests at heart. If unions exercise their freedoms without employer restraints, that business is bound to succeed.
Why UNIONS are more Important
In today’s business ethics, unions are important business collaborators. For instance, unions situate didactic standards at workplaces, provide technical knowledge to employees, bargain for superior working environments, parley salary increase, and improve the welfare of unionized members.
Research has indicated that, workers in a union enjoy higher wages and other benefits than non-union workers. For instance, many countries do not have job breaks. Interestingly, these countries enacted legal laws prohibiting employee vacations. Under this scenario, the state has the right to terminate contracts in case of absenteeism or any other simple mistake. Within a union, members can negotiate for vacations and even take a leave.
In the present society, unions are paramount more than they were long time ago from industrial revolution age. With the current economic tumult, some employers are resisting unions, terming them too demanding. To discourage members from joining unions, employers use anti-union campaign strategies, intimidations, firing of union members, half-truths and innuendo, and routine responses wherever workers opt to form unions.
Unfortunately, when employees work on individual grounds, they are bound to fail. However, unions have greater influence and can effect many changes. This is because; unions speak for the minority and safeguard the interests of workers under law. Additionally, they ensure fair treatment from employers. Many employers do recognize the ethicalness behind paying employees superior wages and other benefits.
This is because; companies that project on long term opportunities could want to maximize their profits through a skilled work force. Thus, meeting employee expectations ensure workers remain to work for an organization with satisfaction. These business opportunities value an organized workforce, which on employee experience to increase productivity. (Hirsch and Schumacher 201-219).
Traditionally, on social ethical grounds, the role of enterprises towards employees has been to pay an equal amount of wages for the work done. This has really changed over the recent years. There is unprecedented rise of political, social, and moral philosophies at workplaces. Yet, the question on the roles of an employer to employee remains unanswered.
In 1935, the Wagner Act prohibited employers from firing workers because of union status. Later, in 1964, the Civil Rights Act prohibited all Americans from exercising racial, sex, national, age and creed discriminations. There were major law alterations, which gave civil service workers, job protections especially against unnecessary contract terminations. (Freeman and Kleiner 27-50).
Currently, there is debate in America on whether employment at will suits American workers. The answer is, absolutely no. Some businesspersons believe that, it is immoral to employ new working policies, other than ‘employment at will’.
To them, employees have no rights beyond employment acts and therefore, view them as business hindrances. This is what separates successful and unsuccessful business enterprises. Those that respect employee rights and value humanity are triumphant, while those that reject policy changes, experience business downfall.
Organizational conducts such as payments, firing, hiring, and promotions determine business success or failure. This is the reason why unions do exist. In the past, organizational conduct has been wanting, especially when these policies appeared to infringe employee rights. Unions play an important part in ensuring that, these conducts adhere to humanity and working laws. (Freeman and Meddoff 1-21).
Hiring
Hiring process is one organizational conduct that has serious flaws. Although sometimes it is not easy to determine the level of skills in a person, there should be an efficient and transparent hiring process. So far, unions have been beneficial, in drafting hiring policies, which characterize justice and equality. Good hiring processes include screening, testing and then interviewing recruits. Under screening, employees with most skills qualify for a detailed and accurate job description.
Unions assist employers in recruitment because; inequalities arise due to improper hiring processes, which attract civil strikes. Any form of discrimination is unethical and affects the entire workforce. Consider a recruiting organization marred with sex, race, ethnic and religion discriminations rather than professionalism. This is one of the roles of unions in ensuring, fair and justice prevails in the hiring process. Testing should be feasible and unswerving to epitomize fairness.
Promotions and Discharge
Unions bargain for fair promotions in organizations. Many organizations rely on inbreeding, or seniority or nepotism in promoting workers rather than using personal qualifications. This is an ethical issue, which has paralyzed many workforces. People without experience and qualification can assume high responsibility and those with qualification denied the chance.
This creates discouragement in the workforce hence, business failure. Additionally, unions protect workers from unnecessary contract terminations. Whenever an employee makes a mistake, there is a fair hearing process to determine a just outcome. (Hirsch and Schumacher 212-216).
Wages
Collective bargaining of workers’ wages is a sole prerogative of unions. In fact, research indicates that, unionized workers receive better pay as compared to non-union members. Moreover, some strong unions insist on qualification rather than discriminations. Fortunately, some employers dictated by common sense, may decide to increase the wages of lowly paid workers, especially in this period of economic downturn. (Mishel and Matthews 1-10).
Union Criticisms
Despite these important union roles, there are some people and entrepreneurs who believe unions are unnecessary. For example, some people accuse unions of partisan interests especially in benefitting a section of workers.
Job seekers fail to secure their dream jobs because, some unions characterize with racism, sexism and other discriminations. Organizations blame unions for unemployment because; the increase in wages means, some workers are bound to loose jobs. Overall, employers are opposed to unions and in some situations; many workers loose their jobs because of unionization. (Kramarz 1-6).
Conclusion
Unions are vital to workers’ job security and in many instances; they improve the lives of the citizenry. Through unions, countries continue to register an expanded economy and social stability. Some infringing laws do not exist today, courtesy of unions. In terms of wages, unions continue to fight for workers’ pay increase relative to the amount of work done.
Additionally, unions do collective bargaining with employers on behalf of employees, especially on the amount of time employees should work, organization rules and conditions, and other organizational decision making processes. If employers fail to yield to union demands, unions can mobilize their members to strike, boycott or campaign against employee abuses. Perhaps these are the major reasons why employees need unions.
Works Cited
Freeman, Richard, Kleiner, Morris. Do unions make enterprises insolvent? Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 52.1: (1999): 27-50.
Freeman, Richard, Medoff, James. What Do Unions Do? New York: Basic Books, 1984. Print.
Hirsch, Barry, Schumacher, Edward. Unions, wage, and skills. Journal of Human Resources. 33.1 (1998): 201-219.
Kramarz, Francis. Outsourcing, Unions, and Wages: Evidence from data matching imports, firms, and workers. 2006. Web. <http://www.eco.uc3m.es/temp/agenda/wage102006.pdf>
Mishel, Lawrence, Matthew, Walter. How unions help all workers. 2003. Web. <https://www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_bp143/>
Weil, David. Enforcing OSHA: The role of labor unions. Industrial Relations. 30. 1: (1991): 20-36.