Owning things are important. Ownership gives you control; it allows you to build equity; it has the ability to create financial freedom for yourself later on. When you do not own stuff, you are beholden to the whims of other people and other organizations. They can do with you what they want. They can control you. They are your overlords. America, more so than any other place on earth, has a built-in “ownership” mindset. Whether that be a home, a business, or a client relationship… when you own it, you control it. That is the thing I and many people want: control. We want to feel like we have control over our lives. We want to have some power in what happens. And maybe most important, we want something we can sell.
When some of these businesses and organizations feel like they can treat workers however they want, that is when you get unions. I believe the union is good when an organization has too much power. There are plenty of examples out there of how unions gave workers better pay, better hours, and a more dignified workplace. Here are a few of those examples:
UAW and the Detroit Big Three (2023): After a six-week strike against Ford, GM and Stellantis, members ratified raises of at least 25 percent over 4½ years and restored regular cost-of-living adjustments. The companies had opened with much less. GM and Ford offered 9%, and Stellantis offered 14.5%. The deal also cut the time to reach top pay from eight years to three. The contracts gave workers more paid time off and the right to strike over plant closures during the contract.
Teamsters and UPS (2023): The contract raised wages by $2.75 an hour in 2023 and $7.50 over its term. Part-timers were lifted to at least $21 an hour, and the full-time top rate rose to $49. The union also said it ended the two-tier wage system for drivers. The contract ended forced overtime on drivers’ days off. At least 143 UPS workers were hospitalized for heat or dehydration injuries between 2015 and 2022. The contract responded with air conditioning in newer delivery vehicles and fans and heat shields retrofitted into existing ones. It also made Martin Luther King Day a full holiday for the first time.
Unions are powerful when people are organized with determination. A lot of these large corporations need to understand that if their hardworking employees are not happy, that kills morale within the organization, and that will reflect on the product or service output. I have always paid attention to the mantra “you get what you pay for.” If you want top-quality work, then pay people a top-quality wage.
Not everyone can own the company they work for, but everyone wants some say in their own life. For many workers, a union is the closest thing to ownership they have: a seat at the table and a voice in how they are treated. The best employers understand this. They know that people who feel respected and fairly paid give more, and that the return on that investment shows up in the product, the service, and the bottom line. Ownership is about control, and fairness is about respect. The most successful organizations are the ones that give people both.
