What are the pros and cons of labor unions?

Answer 1

Pros:

Labor unions can ensure the rights of workers.

Cons:

Labor unions can increase the cost of business, resulting in the firing of workers.

Labor unions can create "unfair dismissal" laws, which makes it hard to fire workers who are lazy or incompetent.

Labor unions can create distrust between employees and employers, which inhibits the work done on the job.

Labor unions can encourage shipping jobs overseas because the cost of working with unions is too high.

Answer 2

Pros:

Labor unions can ensure the rights of workers. [Unions have no role in enforcing legal rights, only contractual rights. Unions do not protect all members' contractual rights, but choose which grievances to pursue.]

Unions give workers a voice in decisions about wages and working conditions without any responsibility for getting those right.

Cons:

Union contracts usually increase wage and benefit costs.

Labor unions can create "unfair dismissal" laws, which makes it hard to fire workers who are lazy or incompetent. [Unions create no laws. Legislatures enact laws. Unions and employers might agree on contractual limits on disciplines, which make work more inefficient.]

Labor unions can comple dues from members in agency shops and union shops, diverting pay to political contributions even if opposed by members and employers.

High union labor costs can create an incentive for employers to contract out certain jobs to nonunion firms, or even overseas.

Answer 3

mergers in the same industry