The rights of collective bargaining are commonly associated with the unions struggle for rights and good working conditions. However more recently they have been the center of the NFL lockout and the rights of the players versus the rights of the team’s owners. While the majority of us will never fight over how many millions we deserve to make this year this area is very important. In fact it is so important that it is considered a basic human right. It ensures a bit of democracy in the workplace and protects the workers from being pushed around of neglected. As the saying goes there is strength in numbers.

The origins of workers compensation law is something that everyone learned in high school history class. The roots in America date all the way back to the days of the industrial revolution. It was there that this important right was born and to this day the fundamental principles have not changed. In 1935 the national labor relations act (NLRA) was passed that set forth workers collective bargaining rights in the private sector. This law makes it illegal for employers to try to thwart collective barging by spying or worker or harassing them. Today all states have this in common. The federal government, under President Kennedy passes ground breaking collective bargaining legislation that is still in force today.

Normally the employees and a member of management will come to a collective bargaining agreement about how thing should be done at that particular time. These agreements usually cover things like: wages, hours, training, and layoffs, working hours, overtime, how employees can raise grievances with management, rights to participate in the company’s affairs and health and safety.

These labor agreements or collective bargaining agreements are reached by the management negotiating with one or more unions that are within the company. Frequently, when no agreement can be reached between the two or more parties then the workers of the company will organize a strike or picket line. Having strength in numbers will ensure that the company cannot single out and fire employees who try to assert the rights of the workers. The company cannot simply fire all of their workers so they are forced into negotiations. This way the worker of a company will have a louder unified voice that management can hear and respond too.

Normally, there is a price to membership in these unions. Union dues are typically 1%-2% of a worker’s pay. This give the union the funds they need to pass out literature, raise support, and to have the ability to send mailing and other communication that are intended to organize the workers. Without this funding the concerns of the workers could not be consolidated into one cohesive voice that can be heard by the management personnel. Today there are thousands of unions in America but they all share one function in common and that would be the right to collective bargaining and to enter into negations with the management personal to improve the conditions and to voice the concerns of all of the workers in a cohesive manner.