Dane McDougal

Davis
Period 1
2 November 2015
Research Paper: Union Issues
How many times should a teacher be allowed to be show up drunk to school? Should
BART workers be able to strike whenever they want, ruining thousands of peoples
transportation use to work? Is it okay for nurses to strike at any time, when peoples lives are at
risk? Why are we letting teacher Unions ruin public education? All these questions need to be
answered by not only the government and Unions but the citizens of the United States.
Employees are being pressured to work for a Union; but workers should have the right to not be
a part of a Union organized workplace if they so choose. Unions are outdated, ruining public
education and stifling productivity.
The National Labor Union was founded in 1866, in order to protect workers. In the year
1938, the Child Labor Law, was passed to protect underage children from working. Beginning in
the 1900s, laws have passed to keep working conditions as safe as possible for Americas
employees. Therefore, there is no need for Labor Unions to even exist in todays economic
system. Currently there are a number of policies and sets of laws that protect employees; from
the minimum wage, OSHA, to prevent injuries from occurring. A more recent law for employees
is the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment provision which requires companies with 50
or more full-time workers offer them a minimal level of health insurance or pay a substantial
penalty. Being, a full-time employee, an individual must work at least 30 hours per week (IRS
Code). Today, 59 million retired and disabled citizens receive money coming from their own and
others payroll tax and withholdings; this provides them with a financial safety net. Established in

the 1935, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) signed the well-known, Social Security Act. In
addition to many other laws, employees in America appreciate the amount of legal protections
provided to them. Given the information, even without joining a Union, there are an abundance
of laws and acts appointed by the government that protect workers rights. Research as show that,
Currently, 45% say they have a favorable opinion about labor unions, while nearly as many
(41%) say they have an unfavorable opinion (Labor Unions Seen). Peoples perspective on

Unions has gone down Unions are not necessary and should be optional for workers in Union
organized companies.
Kids of the future should be given the best education, which means the people teaching
them should be nothing but the best. For years, Bay City Public Schools teachers could be in
possession or under the influence of illegal drugs, could be caught three times before they lost
their job, and they got five strikes if they were drunk on school grounds before being fired
(Gantert). That is unacceptable and shameful. No parent would ever want that for their child.
Contracts such as this should not be in existence. To think that the school board and the Union
both agreed on those stipulations is unbelievable.
The National Center on Education and the Economy states that, The core problem is that our
education and training systems were built for another era. We can get where we must go only by
changing the system itself (Tough Choices). Resolving this problem would mean that the way
education is being taught needs to change. An example, very problematic for students, is that
Unions are known for not firing their inferior teachers, also known as the seniority rule. Teachers
who have been a part of a Union long enough will be protected and wont be fired. How does
this help the education of students across the nation?

Teachers tenure is a policy which restricts the ability to fire a teacher; and is designed to protect
public school teachers. It also gives these teachers an advantage when evaluation comes. They
are warned ahead of time and can reschedule whenever; giving the teachers full control; when
really they should be examined at a random time so it is a more effective observation.
Stifling productivity in America is at an all-time high, mostly because of Unions. They
influence workers to strike which stops companys productivity. An example of this is the recent
Bay Area BART striking in the last couple of years. A result of BART trains no longer running,
hardworking citizens have no way to get to their jobs. Some 400,000 workers are in a
predicament (Bart 2014 Factsheet). They are unable to take an environmentally good choice for
their transportation to work. The Union is arrogant in shutting down such an important mode of
transportation just to get paid slightly more than before. We do know that there are undoubtedly
BART workers who were against the strike but had to do it anyway due to being required to
work for a Union. Besides BART, nurses and workers at hospitals should not be able to strike
when millions of peoples lives are dependent on their care. Who will be the ones to help when
nurses are out on the street with signs, wanting a two percent pay increase? Evidence shows that,
an estimated 138 more individuals died than would have without a strike [by nurses] (Wright).
Workers should not be allowed to strike because it hurts so many people. Employees should have
the choice to not be a part of a Union.
Opposing views claim Unions are needed across the nation. Emphasizing they are needed
to make the workplace fairer, so everyone gets paid the same. However, if everyone is paid the
same, what kind of incentive do the workers have to improve as an employee when they know
they will get paid the same as every other working man/woman in the workplace? A study by the
Heritage Foundation says that, Few workers who join a union today get a pay raise

(Haberman). Results would be seen in the companys annual earnings and workers not showing
the ambition compared to those who could receive a pay increase due to their hard-work. Others
say that Unions assist in maintaining worker security, but really there is no need for that today
we do not live in a time where workers right are abused. The United States Department of Labor
has an assortment of laws that protect not only Union workers but employees across the nation.
Under these laws are larger points such as wages and working hours (Summary Major Laws).
Labor Unions should no longer be in effect and employees need to have the ability to not be a
part of an organized Union.
Findings show that current acts and laws today protect workers rights, and there is no
longer a need for Unions. The Unions method of public education reveals that it is hurting
students learning development. Teachers should not be able to strike nor nurses. Overall, what
hard working parent wants to be unable to go to work due to a strike; even worse their childs
education being harmed by teachers who should have been fired years ago. Workers should have
a choice of being a part of a Union, and if they knew issues such as these occurred because of it
they would know Unions are no good.