A Problem with Unions: Part 1

It is fair to say that unionization efforts were one of the key components of the early Progressive Movement. Progressivism itself was in many ways a reaction to the industrial revolution, so it should be no surprise that taking care of workers became a major concern. During the early 20th century many progressive leaders were instrumental in the advances of organized labor. TR played an important role when he invited business owners and labor organizers to the White House to negotiate for the first time on equal footing.

Thanks to his inivolvement and to the efforts of other progressives, organized labor gained momentum and acheived much in the next 60 years. Working conditions were improved, a shorter work day adopted, child labor ended, contracts improved, etc.  This lead to an explosion of union membership and an all-time high of 22.2 million union workers in 1975.

Then something changed. Union membership began to decline. Today union membership is closer to the numbers of the 1950s and it is decreasing every year. Today’s progressives must wonder, what became of the efforts of our predecessors?

While industries have often resisted unionization, sometimes going to great (and illegal) tactics to bust unions or organization efforts, it is our opinion that the greatest blame for union decline must be laid at the feet of unions themselves. It’s an old adage that power corrupts. Indeed it is one of the oldest of human tendencies. It doesn’t take a deep look to see how unions have become the very things they were created to fight: Enormous money-making machines with little regard for the workers they depend on.

A new Progressivism must deal with the reality that while we can still remain a friend to organized labor, we can no longer ignore the corruption that exists in many unions. UnionFacts.com reports that in 2005 unions were forced to pay out over $23 million to their members as restitution for abuses by union leaders. Among the crimes listed are, “…embezzlement, filing false reports, keeping false records, destruction of records, extortionate picketing and deprivation of rights by violence.”

What’s interesting is that these abuses sound remarkably like the kinds of things we expect to hear regarding big corporations. As bad as they are though, they are sadly predictable for any organization that wields power and money with little internal oversight. The real abuses though aren’t even illegal. They are legal AND an established part of the union culture in this country.

Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive conservative approach to organized labor was a matter of practicality. He believed that the right of labor to organize was vital to the protection of workers and to check the power of corporations. While he suported this right, he also did not believe that unions should impede capitalism and he was quite clear on his stance against unions dabbling in politics. So as we list our main problems with unions today, we must start there.

Political contributions: Congress should immediately act to stop the ability of unions to contribute money to politicians, campaigns or any variation thereof. It is contrary to the democratic system to spend member dues on causes not expressely approved by union membership.  Lobbying should remain legal, though closely regulated.

Mandatory membership: Progressives should support Right to Work laws in all 50 states. We realize that there is a valid arguement against non-union members benifitting from union bargaining but we find it contrary to progressive goals to withhold employment from anyone based on union membership. The entire purpose of the organized labor movement should be about employment, not exclusiveness.

Private votes: This is a disturbing trend among American unions in recent years. Many unions are pushing for an end to private votes. Progressives must see this as a dangerous step away from the original principles of organized labor and demand that unions always allow their employees to vote privately.

Opposition to merit systems: For many of those who complain about unions, the lack of merit systems for promotion and raises is one of the biggest sources of conflict. Union members see themselves passed over for promotions because seniority trumps talent. Unions must integrate merit promotions and raises into their seniority systems and develop a hybrid system which will still honor years of service while not ignoring young talent.

Protectionism: Unions are often accused of protecting poorly performing employees beyond the point where they should be let go. The list of steps an employer must take to terminate an under-performing employee has become longer each year and has become infamous in school systems where protectionism is destroying school districts. There must be a compromise between labor and corporations on a reasonable process for removing problem employees.

If these main faults with unions could be addresses, it is our belief that unions could begin to rebuild their membership rolls and would see a resurgence in their importance. Still, other problems must be dealt with. These include the damage unions are doing to their industries through their negotiating processes and the disservice they are doing to their members by not preparing them for a changing economy.

Part 2 of our series on unions will deal with these specific issues.