#pipefitters

Paintimations: Run + Jump - mixed media - robert matejcek - 2017

“I am not a video game guy at all. Once it got past Super Mario Bros. and past two buttons, they lost me. I was like, ‘I do not have the abilities to be able to do this. It doesn’t work.’”

- Edge

Being a member of a labor union can be beneficial, as unions are created by workers, not by employers. In these communities, workers use their collective presence to negotiate better working conditions. The main ones include better wages and workplace safety.

As a union member, each worker has a voice that employers hear. They have the power to create a happy, healthy, and rewarding community and stimulate economic growth in the process. What’s more, they help both union and non-union workers.

This is because unions set standards on wages and workplace security across the industry. All the benefits of collective bargaining positively impact both unionized and regular workers.

While regular workers are somewhat affected by the standards set by unions, they rarely receive the same benefits. If you’re looking for safety on the job, training, community, and an array of other benefits, you should think about joining a union. Here are the essential benefits that you’ll experience.

Wage Differences

One of the primary benefits that unionized workers get is better compensation for their hard work. Union members get higher salaries than their non-union counterparts. The main reason is that they negotiate wages on behalf of each union member. This way, everyone can get the paycheck they deserve.

Let’s say that someone doesn’t have excellent skills or too much experience yet. Maybe they have less formal education than their non-union colleagues. Well, they can still enjoy a higher paycheck than the same worker who is not a union member.

What’s more, unionized workers enjoy regular pay raises, especially when they keep training and improving their skills. Regular workers usually don’t have such a luxury, as their employers set their wages without ever consulting with them or asking for any input.

Workplace Safety

Higher wages may be enough to compel you to join a union, but workplace safety is another very important reason to consider.

Working under favorable workplace conditions is one of the top concerns of the majority of workers. It goes especially for plumbers, pipefitters, and refrigeration fitters. They’re in contact with plenty of tools and machinery that can cause injuries, so improving workplace safety is essential.

Union workers negotiate with employers on protecting a job site and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. They make sure that every employer is held accountable for any workplace injury or fatality. 

They also make sure that there is proper training. It involves educating workers on workplace hazards, proper use of equipment, and all the safety protocols.

Job Stability

Unionized workers enjoy a higher level of job stability than their non-union counterparts. They can keep honing their skills, knowing that their employer will invest in their long-term learning and development.

Regular workers usually don’t have such a sense of job stability – their employers can fire them at will, for no valid reason whatsoever. That could never happen in a union.

When you’re a union member, your employer can only ever fire you for “just cause”. There must be a valid reason for firing you, and there must be evidence proving misconduct.

Any misconduct must qualify as a legal termination, which means that there’s no room for discrimination. A union first uses a grievance procedure, or sometimes arbitration, to handle all grievances. Only after this can any disciplinary action take place.

Employee turnover is lower in unions. Knowing that your employer cannot fire you for whistleblowing, discrimination, or no reason at all makes for a happy and productive worker.

A Voice for Workers in Political Decisions

Being a member of a union means having a voice. A voice that is heard and can make a difference.

Every union member can voice their concerns and suggest workplace improvements. They can share honest thoughts and opinions on all matters that concern their union and workplace.

Unions provide democracy. Everyone is equal, and everyone has the right to make a difference. Every union worker can have a say in political decisions, as every policy will affect each one of them.

Non-union workers do not don’t enjoy this level of freedom and equality. Their employers rarely hear their voices, and they have no say in policy debates.

Improved Conditions for Diverse Workforces

Long gone are the times when workforces were homogenous. Discrimination is still present in many workplaces, but that is not the case in unions.

Diverse workforces thrive when they band together in a union. Age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical disabilities, and culture play no part here. No such differences will affect anyone’s ability to enjoy better workplace conditions, benefits, and higher wages.

Unions represent workers from all sectors and of all levels of education, and everyone has equal rights.

Retirement Security

Not every non-union worker has access to retirement benefits. Even when they do, they’re often not very satisfactory.

This isn’t the case with unionized workers. They have retirement security, as well as better retirement benefits than regular workers. 

Unions provide defined benefit pension plans and/or defined contribution retirement plans (401(a), 401(k), etc.). It gives them an excellent incentive, knowing that their financial future is secure.

Conclusion

Being a union member definitely comes with incredible benefits. Want to join a union of professional plumbers, pipefitters, and HVACR fitters? Are you looking for great income potential? Do you want safe working conditions and health insurance with retirement? Is your goal to get career training that will help you get a stable job?

The first time I took a turn on a jackhammer, on a sewer-repair crew, the foreman told me to strap steel toe guards onto my boots.  My boots already had toes hardened with some sort of composite, but the foreman did not want to chance it.  The other men at the worksite, on Daggett Avenue in south St. Louis, looked away, as I remember.  Those men normally ran the jackhammer and did not bother with…