Attention: Philadelphia Area Union Community

Why Hire Union Workers?

In an economy that has put a dent in everyone’s pocketbook and with the cost of union labor often being substantially higher than that of non-union workers, in this day and age why should employers, project managers, etc. want to hire union workers instead of the cheaper alternative? Well, that is a question that each union member should always keep in mind the second they are hired to do a job.

FROM THE EMPLOYER’S PERSPECTIVE:

As a union employee, it is vital that one understands both sides of the issue including the challenges and objectives of the businesses and employers that hire you. The fact of the matter is that the goals of a business are to produce a quality product and/or provide a service, to operate as efficiently as possible and to generate profits. If an employer cannot accomplish those objectives, there is literally no reason to be in business. Now let’s break it down a bit further and put yourself in the employer’s shoes. As a business owner,  more often than not, you have risked your entire financial existence for your business. Therefore, in order to minimize the risk of losing everything and maximize your opportunity for success, you absolutely must run as efficiently as possible — which means, in the most cost-conscious manner possible, you must purchase everything you need in order to do business and compete in your industry while at the same time hiring the most qualified staff/employees also in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Also, as a business owner, let’s not forget the time it takes to operate your own business and the fact that with every new day tons of issues can and do arise that, if not handled properly, could eat away at potential profits or even put the business itself in jeopardy. This is why employees are the life blood of any successful business. In the professional arena, there are entire departments in companies, called HR/Human Resource Departments, that are dedicated to screening, interviewing and hiring employees to make sure the right people are hired for the job. It’s a science that many companies pay a lot of money to perfect because they know that no matter how much they try, a business cannot succeed without the proper personnel. All of this brings us back to the question at hand: Why in the world would a business want to hire more expensive union workers?

FROM A UNION MEMBER’S PERSPECTIVE:

Being a part of a union often means that you are part of an organization that, through collective bargaining and good faith negotiations over many years, has secured positive conditions for their members that include fair wages, safe working conditions, healthcare benefits, retirement plans/annuities/401K and more.

BOTTOM LINE: GIVE ‘EM A REASON TO “WANT” TO HIRE UNION! UNION QUALITY AND WORK ETHIC ARE WHY EMPLOYERS SHOULD WANT TO HIRE UNION WORKERS!

As proud union members, we need companies/employers to hire union workers because they “want” to hire us, not just because they have to. As union members we want to solidify and preserve the union standards that previous generations of union brothers and sisters have worked so hard to obtain for us by working harder, by building a better product, by providing a better service, by being better trained and more skilled than the non-union workers and BY SIMPLY BEING THE BEST WORK FORCE POSSIBLE  so that we can ensure our union standards now and into the future as our forefathers did for us. As union members, we need to have the pride to do the job better than the rest! The future of our industry depends on it!

TAKE ACTION:

Please feel free to respond, comment or to give your perspective on “Why Hire Union Workers?”

Sincerely,

Joe Dougherty
President, PhillyLabor.com