Feb. 23, 2000
Unionization has its benefits and drawbacks
I have read with great interest the letters from those who argue that unionization would be good for employees at the Lab -- in particular, the statements about unions being democratic.
I had the opportunity to work in a unionized shop (United Aerospace Workers) and will attest to the fact that unions are indeed democratic. The point that hasn't been made about unions is that all members are made equal to the least common denominator in the membership. The least common denominator is the shirker and/or the general malcontent who believes that either he/she is really quite extraordinary but always seems to be singled out by "management" for persecution, either real or imagined, or the employee who abides by the philosophy that he/she deserves the maximum amount of pay for the absolute minimum amount of effort and uses the union as a shield.
To state that unions do not necessarily cause conflict between workers and management is pure nonsense. Of course they do. The very purpose of a union is to draw a well defined line between workers and management. When all employees are made equal to the least common denominator, all union members are, and will be, treated with fundamental distrust by management. These aren't wild accusations or innuendo, just facts of human nature and human interactions in an adversarial environment. I'm not a ranting anti-unionist, these are observations based upon personal experiences while working in a unionized environment.
While a union may well afford the benefits gained from a collective voice in our destinies as both Lab and University of California employees, there also are definite drawbacks. One sure thing that unionization brings is loss of the ability of individuals who are somewhere above the level of the least common denominator to achieve more than average pay raises and promotions based on their individual achievements. If you prefer to remain an individual and be judged strictly on your own merits and achievements rather than be part of a collective, subject to the additional rules and regulations of a union "democracy," this might give you a broader feeling for what may be ahead if we are indeed unionized. A unionized work place is a stifling environment if you value individuality and resent being treated as just another part of a "herd mentality."
--Jim Parson