What are the major reasons why workers unionize? What are some of the benefits workers can potentially gain from unionizing?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Pay and working conditions are important factors. Recent median weekly wage for union workers was $970, versus $763 for nonunion workers. Union workers also generally receive more holidays, sick leave, unpaid leave, insurance plan benefits, long-term disability benefits, and other benefits—about $14.50 per hour in benefits compared with about $7.50 per hour for nonunion workers.

But it's not just money. The urge to unionize often comes down to the belief on the part of workers that it's only through unity that they can get their fair share of the "pie" and also protect themselves from the arbitrary whims of management. The bottom line is that low morale, fear of job loss, and poor communication (in other words, poor employee relations) also foster unionization.

Modern Survey conducted a study that measured items such as employees' interest in being represented by a union, confidence in senior management, and employee engagement. It concluded that 50% of "actively disengaged" employees would vote "yes" to unionization, while only 20% of such employees would vote "no union". It concludes that "paying attention to employee engagement levels within your organization helps to foster positive relationships between employees and management and decreases the likelihood of a workforce seeking union representation."

Gallup conduct its own surveys that complements these conclusions. For example, among the over 500 organizations in which Gallup measures employee engagement, 45% of nonunion employees were engaged, while fewer—38%—of unionized employees were engaged.