Want To Be Happy? Join A Union!

[Scuba]

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2015/01/want-to-be-happy-join-union.html

It is well documented that unions bring direct and indirect benefits for its members and the community at large. Union members earn better wages, have better benefits and have safer working conditions. Communities that enjoy a union presence tend to have less poverty and better education systems. A recent study shows yet another benefit from belonging to a union - higher life satisfaction.

From the New York Times:

But a recent study may give some workers reason to reconsider. For those who belong to a union, membership seems to bring a benefit that perhaps surpasses better wages or generous health insurance: higher life satisfaction.

The study authors, Patrick Flavin, an assistant professor at Baylor University, and Gregory Shufeldt, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, used data from five different years between the early 1980s and mid-2000s, conducted in the United States, of the World Values Survey, a research project focusing on people’s beliefs. As they write in the report, they found that “union members are more satisfied with their lives than those who are not members and that the substantive effect of union membership on life satisfaction is large and rivals other common predictors of quality of life.”

Yet as Mr. Flavin and Mr. Shufeldt told Op-Talk in an email: “Labor union membership still has benefits, and that this is true for all union members. Simply put, if one goal of labor unions is to boost the quality of life for their members, our study provides empirical evidence that they are succeeding.”

In their study, they tease out four “pathways” by which being a union member might improve quality of life compared with not being a member: “These include having greater satisfaction with one’s experiences while working, feeling greater job security, being afforded numerous opportunities for social interaction and integration, and enhancing the participatory benefits associated with more engaged democratic citizenship.”

Emphasis mine

[unionthug777]

1. i am happy then !!

ibew local 494 here !!!

unions !!!!

morning scuba !!

[Scuba]

2. Morning thug.

[rogerashton]

3. Good post!

Research by the Swiss economist Bruno Frey also indicates that engagement in participatory political processes increases life satisfaction.

[AwakeAtLast]

4. Unless it's a teacher's union that has been neutered

by the state legislature. Hello from Indiana.

[Johonny]

5. It's hard to get white collar workers to join

We only have about 10% that pay dues. Until you go to the union meeting and see how the company outright lies to you... I guess you can pretend joining a union is somehow not needed. I don't know how you breakthrough the mythology that unions are only for low wage hourly workers. And yes the union member tend to care more about things like voting too