YES! Just as wages can go up with a union, you can also lose.
In addition to the out-of-pocket costs of a union, such as union dues, initiation fees, as well as potential fines and assessments, you can also lost wages and/or benefits as a result of negotiations.
In fact, the National Labor Relations Board has affirmed that:
“If the union tells you that what you have now is guaranteed, it is not telling you the truth… The truth isyou can LOSE wages and benefits in collective bargaining." (Ludwig Motor Corp. and IIPEU, 222 NLRB 635)—Emphasis added.
Since union organizers are legally allowed to make promises to you in order to lure you into unionization, you may be surprised to learn that, as a result of collective bargaining, you could end up on the losing end of the stick.
If you unionize, the only thing you can be assured of is that the union and your employer are obligated to negotiate in "good faith." Good faith negotiations (also called collective bargaining) does not always mean betterment for employees, as employees can and often do lose wages and/or benefits as a result of negotiations.
In addition, collective bargaining also does not mean an agreement has to be reached between the union and your employer. According to published reports, unions are actually failing to get contracts 45% of the time for newly unionized employees. For more information about Collective Bargainning, click here.
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