I’m a union supporter. I used to work for a union. I believe that workers often need to engage in collective action in order to force their employers to improve wages and working conditions. I think that free riders are scum. Free riders are workers who benefit from the union contract but don’t pay union dues.
I recently became a free rider.
It wasn’t my fault. One day they called me into HR. No one knew why. I thought maybe they were going to fire me. It turned out I’m… rather my position had been the subject of negotiations, and it was now in the bargaining unit. My wages stayed the same, but my benefit package was suddenly a lot worse. One thousand dollars worse. If I join the union, it’ll cost me another 2 k. For what? A reduced benefit package?
It is probably true that at will employees’ salaries are higher because of the union, but I signed up for an at will position.
The economics of union campaigns are complex. Inn fact, it is much harder to organize in difficult economic times. Historically, more union chapters are certified during good times. It’s easy to see why. In boom times, labor is scarce. Employers are making more money. Thy lose more during a work stoppage.
Walmart is a bottom feeder when it comes to employees. People work there only when they can’t get any other work. They hire many part time workers. They can make do with employees who have almost no skills and no education. In other words, walmart employees are easily replaceable in good times as well as bad. When employers don’t need any particular set of employees, it’s only a bit of a pain to fire them all and hire a whole new batch.
Walmart hates unions with an unbelievable passion. The only thing they need from employees is for them to be able to smile and remember where the toilet paper is. The employees are ridiculously easy to replace. That’s why it is next to impossible to organize walmart employees.