A journey-level worker has completed an apprenticeship. Trade unions offer employers well-trained workers in exchange for employers hiring exclusively from the union hall. Unions are intended to protect the rights of members, both apprentice and journey worker. Union officials are obliged to monitor the learning process on the job and in the apprenticeship class. Unions negotiate with employers for standard wages and benefits.
Unions are subject to nondiscrimination laws.
This offers an advantage for minorities and women. However, unions can have outdated hiring practices that make access difficult for minorities and women. In the past, biased attitudes of some members have made it difficult for women to take full advantage of the benefits of union membership. In nonunion programs, wages and benefits are not guaranteed by union involvement. Sometimes entrance to nonunion apprenticeship is less difficult, in general.