It’s a maxim often referred to as Maslow’s hammer: “It’s tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” And so it is regarding the question of whether unionization efforts at every level of business is the proper approach to resolving every workplace dispute, legitimate or not.
It’s important to understand that it doesn’t make someone hostile to labor unions simply because they question the efficacy of collective bargaining at the micro level. To the contrary, it’s because we shouldn’t undermine the legitimacy of unions by applying them in situations that mock the reality of the unfair, unsafe and inhumane working conditions in which untold millions of human beings are forced to work globally.
As I said in a previous letter to the editor of this paper (“Brunswick baristas’ action amounts to distraction,” May 27), support for labor unions is a no-brainer. But that’s not the issue here.
Forcing the closure of small family-run businesses with a mere handful of employees because of minor workplace irritations is counterproductive. Irritations are unavoidable, but they’re indicative of poor management and not necessarily unfair labor practices or hostile work environments. Conflating these issues undermines the very spirit of the “mom and pop,” where owners want to check in with the staff at day’s end without worrying about violating a rule requiring the posting of an “advance notice of meeting.” Or they could find themselves burdened with legal expenses because they stepped in to help their staff during a rush, thus facing accusations of “taking work away from union employees.”
Employee demands for more hours are also understandable given the needs of those struggling to make ends meet, but even this can destroy a business whose owner is trying to control labor costs. Every business has to keep payroll percentage in line to survive. And how can the corner bar afford family leave if the owner is already working shifts and doesn’t have the financial resources of Anheuser Busch? None of this reflects the reality of small businesses.
The contract of the Brunswick coffee house – Little Dog – demanded “two weeks of paid time off for employees who experience extreme events at the workplace.” The employees then filed a grievance because a work schedule was filed on a different day than usual. A system of workplace mediation could effectively address these disputes, help employees achieve their desired outcomes and keep businesses open. If a business doesn’t survive, it takes with it every job it provided. There’s nothing to be gained by anyone at that point.
Of course, none of this should negate our collective insistence that all business owners, regardless of the size of the business, operate a fair, safe and ethical work environment. But inexperience, incompetence, economic downturn and personal financial difficulties can all play a role in creating a subpar business owner and an unpleasant work environment.
No one denies the existence of miserable places to work, but we can’t rid the world of its Dunder Mifflins. So determining the proper intersection of industry and unions is critical. Coffee houses, ice cream parlors, shoe repairs, pizza joints, corner bodegas, nail salons … there is no credible argument for unionizing every last workplace. What employee doesn’t want to make more money? But a donut can’t cost $15 because the baker is making $50 an hour. Granted, minimum wage laws don’t allow for a sustainable lifestyle in the long term, but that’s the underlying issue to be debated. It’s the larger economic conversation this country needs to have.
This is a battle that must be taken to the Amazons, Walmarts, Starbucks and countless other major American companies that aggressively fight unionization efforts. That’s where CEOs make thousands of times the salary of their hourly employees. That’s where employees don’t have a direct line of communication to ownership. That’s where their concerns are not heard. That’s where they’re made to feel dispensable. That’s the real frontline of this war, which can’t be fought over every last coffee counter in the country.
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