Seniority in Unionized Workplaces: Codified Age Discrimination?
Channel: Alex Zorach
Date: 2018-08-02

One of my biggest reservations about labor unions is that they almost always codify a system of seniority that is privileges older employees and is hard on newer, younger employees. There can be large disparities in pay, job security, and difficulty or unpleasantness of ones job, with new workers needing to "put in their time" and "work their way up through the ranks" to get a decent salary, job security, and access to more attractive jobs.  It's a sort of codified age discrimination.

This system is very hard on young people, many of whom often still aren't earning a living wage and who may face sudden layoffs at a time of their life when  they are least financially secure. It also creates an environment where people's pay and compensation can be hugely disconnected from their performance --- younger workers may be doing a better job and getting paid less for it, whereas older employees can often get away with a lot more, work less effectively, and work in easier jobs while getting paid more. There is little incentive to work efficiently, and the end result is often a workplace where a large portion of workers aren't really contributing effectively to the functioning of the organization as a whole.

Advocates of labor unions and unionization would do well to put forth methods and proposals of how to solve these problems. When these problems are not addressed, I remain skeptical of labor unions and am not convinced that unionization is always beneficial for society as a whole.