What is happening to union membership in the United States? According to the US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics – in the past forty years union membership has steadily dropped. In 1983, 20.1 percent – 1 in 5 workers were in a union. By 2023, union membership had plummeted to half that – 10.0 percent.
There are probably lots of reasons for the decline in union membership. My suspicion though, borne from years of working in industries ripe for union exploitation (excuse me – 3rd party representation), is that employees have a better understanding of Return on Investment, or ROI, than some give them credit for. Unions are simply not viewed as having value anymore. Employers should be careful not to drop their guard though. Unions are still out there; and just like that shark cruising off the beach in murky waters, they are looking for their next meal.
The law protects basic employment rights – a role unions once spearheaded. These days though, employees are more sophisticated than ever before. Good wages and solid benefits have rightfully become basic expectations. Companies should differentiate themselves though if they are to attract, hire, and retain the right talent. But how?
For your consideration, I suggest companies place a premium on introducing Best Practices policies. Offering value-added, employee centric initiatives – such as flexible work hours, and ways to better engage employees in solutions to problems that affect them are wise investments. In many cases, it costs nothing to upgrade existing policies so they are Best Practices compliant. Take a look at KeystoneHR’s website. Well over half are specifically tailored for the value-add that Best Practices offers. Just a few examples:
- Solicitation, Distribution, and Concerted Activity (SKU DK53)
- Emergency Response Plan and Checklist – CIVIL DISORDER and MANMADE DISASTERs (Even covers the NLRA compliant TIPS acronym) (SKU MC17)
- Gainsharing – Self-Funding Employee Bonus (SKU CX2)
KeystoneHR offers Best Practices’ focused HR and related policies and documents, training, consultation, and project work. With over 40 years of progressive HR experience in Fortune 500 companies and upper-end LLC’s, our team is poised to help. See our website – KeystoneHR.info. KeystoneHR – Best-in-Class helping Best-in-Class.
