What is a union, anyway?

In some ways it's like your local neighborhood association-a voluntary organization of people banding together working toward common interests. Unions were created by workers to promote the interests of workers-working peoples' only organized voice in dealings with management.

In this world of disposable employees, downsizing, subcontracting, and job insecurity, unions are there to give workers some say in workplace issues, and to give them strength and dignity. Unions force employers to shift their awareness from the bottom line and back to employee welfare.

What have Unions accomplished? Forty-hour work weeks, minimum wages, job safety laws, and protection from firing for other than just cause are just some of the social reforms initiated by Unions.

Unions are not just for blue-collar employees, either. Medical professionals, teachers, technical professionals, and even athletes have realized that Unions enable them to protect their livelihood by taking their jobs into their own hands. Over the next several months, this column will look into where Unions have come from, what they have done, and where they are going. Stay tuned!

Coming in future installments…