As an employee, you expect your employer to offer fair wages and a safe working environment, and to keep the best interest of their staff at heart. However, the unfortunate reality is that not all employers share your belief. A union can help fill in the gap and ensure your needs are being met in a reasonable manner. If you have been on the fence about whether or not joining a union is right for you, here are a number of reasons why your partnership with a union can be advantageous.

Greater Job Security

In tough economic times, knowing that you have a steady income to rely on can be a sense of relief. Joining a union offers this type of confidence. Union members are granted union contracts. With a union contract, your employer can only terminate your employment for a valid reason.

Personal issues and unfair disciplinary practices held against you will not result in your loss of employment. In the event the company needs to undergo any reconstructing, such as lay-offs or other cost cutting practices, a union representative will always be on hand to offer input and ensure that the union employees are protected during the process.

Increased Workplace Safety

Being a union member can also ensure you have a safe working environment. As a traditional employee, getting your employer to correct any unsafe practices or processes in the workplace can seem like an uphill battle. When you are a union member, you have a team backing you to push through your concerns.

In the event of a safety issue, you can simply contact the union for swift action. Additionally, it is not uncommon for union representatives to perform random inspections to ensure their members are working in safe environments.

Pay Incentives

Compared to traditional employees, union members earn greater incomes. It doesn't matter what type of industry you work in, higher pay is something each person would gladly welcome. While the exact amount will vary depending on your industry and title, in the past, union workers have made between 10% and 25% more than traditional workers who are performing the same role.

To put these figures into perspective, consider two employees who have the same title. If the traditional worker earns an hourly wage of $21.00, the union employee would earn between $23.10 and $26.25 per hour.

These benefits should leave you without any questions concerning why it's a good idea to join a union. There are unions for many industries. For example, the Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union Local 378 campaigns for white collar worker's rights. A union representative can sit down with you to discuss in greater detail how a union can aid you.