Membership and retention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Membership and retention - Essay Example The study revealed that there is a disparity between knowledge about basic rights under these union-based laws and that most employees do not understand their legal rights or their rights on termination and dismissal (Omar, Chan & Joned, 2009). At industries in which union membership is already present, this could have much to do with why unions are voted out and why union membership continues to decline. In order to strengthen union membership, in-house literature should be produced by union leadership that defines these rights, in a language that is easily understood by a wide variety of educated and non-educated demographics. By providing this information, those currently in unions would understand how the union actually represents their interests and be less apt to demand union exit from the industrial environment. â€Å"Once unionization occurs, the union’s ability to foster commitment from members and to remain as their bargaining agent depends on how well the union succeeds in providing services that its members want† (Mathis & Jackson, 2005, p.544). It is also possible to improve union membership by auditing the current collective bargaining representatives that handle negotiations for employees. The complex dynamics of collective bargaining requires individuals with psychological knowledge, management training, legal understanding, and conflict resolution skills. If the union is not being represented by competent and qualified individuals, the employees’ needs will likely not be addressed competently and therefore union membership will decline due to bargaining inadequacy. These audits can be conducted by the unions themselves, the corporate management teams, employee assessment teams, or even paid independent auditing contactors specializing in union knowledge and bargaining norms. By illustrating that there is a measurement system in place to gauge competency, and promoting these efforts effectively, more union membership