ON MONDAY, America will applaud the contributions of workers. Some of us will also give a cheer for unions, "the folks who brought you the weekend" - in this case a long weekend.
This year, the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, or HUCTW, is celebrating its 20th birthday. In the last 20 years, Harvard University and the union have brought 5,000 jobs solidly into the middle class. They are sustainable jobs with good salaries, great benefits, better working conditions, and access to ongoing training.
That's what unions are for, right? Yes. But it is no longer an adequate way to think about them. Unions are, and need to be, about successfully adapting workplaces to the changing world. Globalization and an economy in flux have increased competition for American employers while threatening a race to the bottom for employee wages and working conditions. Longer working hours put stress on communities and families.
This path is not sustainable, and will not benefit the nation. Long-term survival in the coming "knowledge" economy will require increased flexibility from both workers and management. There will be a need for ongoing adult learning in the workplace to produce more educated workers and a need for better ways to capture knowledge from all levels of the organization.
An independent voice for workers is essential to making workplaces function better. When decisions are made unilaterally from the top down, they are made without crucial information. Forsaking front-line workers' hard-earned experience and perspectives is like walking a tightrope with numb feet. Employees with direct customer, research, student, or patient contact are the nerve endings in institutions. They often perceive crucial market shifts before other instruments can measure them. They are vital to understanding what's working well or badly, and to anticipating what's coming next. Without union support their voices will not be heard on an ongoing basis - as when, during times of intense economic or competitive pressure, it seems inexpedient.
That is where progressive unions come in: They give employees voice in ways that benefit everyone. Research shows that the highest levels of productivity occur in those unionized workplaces where the union and the employer recognize their mutual interests, and create a partnership to achieve organizational goals. Progressive unions emphasize community building among members as a way of creating positive workplaces where information travels up as well as down. And, consequently, where humor, kindness, and respect have opportunity to flourish.
Furthermore, a union that really knows its members brings their experience, skills, creativity, and desire to do high-quality work to the table. These are crucial natural resources that the nation can no longer afford to squander.
This is an ambitious vision. New unions are changing how it feels to come to work, not just how big a paycheck is. Realizing this idea requires rejecting some old union (and management) practices - such as an over-reliance on rules. New unions can lead the country in developing sustainable workplaces. To succeed, unions must embrace change, transform themselves, and demonstrate their worth anew.
Perhaps the biggest cause for celebration on the Harvard union's birthday is that it offers one good model for successful unions of the future. HUCTW and its sister unions do not organize against the boss - they organize around the idea of participation at work. We have never had a strike, and we'd rather solve problems than file grievances. We would rather sign a short, conceptual agreement than a long contract full of rules and regulations. We believe the best solutions to problems come through thoughtful conversation about the needs and perspectives of everyone at the table.
Will this model work elsewhere? Our sister union, SHARE, in Worcester, has had great success in a hospital setting. There, union and management worked together to engage staff in problem solving on inpatient units. The result: They greatly improved patient satisfaction, and have the statistics to prove it. And worker morale soared.
As we celebrate Labor Day this weekend, we'll hear about the decline in union membership. But the United States badly needs progressive unions that offer an alternative vision - a future of collaboration based in conversation and mutual respect; and a road map to a better workplace for all.
Kris Rondeau is a labor organizer and negotiator affiliated with the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers and AFSCME. Janna Malamud Smith is a writer and a member of the Union of Social Workers.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
Also, in Chapter 15 when we talked about "Managing Human Resources Globally." I thought it was really interesting to learn about Human Resources from a global perspective, because I know that much of the world's business is global now. I learned how important it is for Human Resource Employees to know and understand local laws and customs overseas. Also, they need to understand how to operate in foreign facilities. A number of different options are available for Human Resource employees when hiring for international operations and it is important that they choose the best option and the most beneficial person for the company.
