Unions are important because they help set the standards for education, skill levels, wages, working conditions, and quality of life for workers. Unions also work to establish laws improving job conditions for their members through legislation at the national, state and local level. Although union members typically enjoy higher wages, membership in a union has both monetary and nonmonetary costs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2014 median weekly pay for full-time workers belonging to a union was $970, compared to $763 for their nonunion counterparts. Nonetheless, you must pay to belong to a union. You'll also lose autonomy by joining, and you may suffer additional disadvantages. Union membership dues start at approximately $200 a year, and many unions charge more, according to Larry Keller of Bankrate.com. For example, membership in the Teamsters Local 853 costs between $17 and $85 per month as of 2015 is takes your $970 pay down to $770 when non union members make $763. And if a union changes you $85 a month that accumulates to $1,020 a year. You also lose freedoms and unions also tend have mob like mentality’s so if you as the worker don’t agree you would have to face a group rather then just one person.
