Non-Unionize Employees vs. Unionized Employees

HR Professionals in union environments with non-union employees may come across scenarios where unionized employee receive a signing bonus as part of the negotiated collective agreement while being left to deal with non-unionize employees. The following article displays the effects of not sharing the wealth.

Key points to remember:
- Communication and transparency
- Equity among the two groups while recognizing their differences (ie. signing bonus vs. performance-based bonus)

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Collective agreement: A contract negotiated between the employer and the union which states the terms and conditions of employment for unionized staff.

Collective bargaining: the method used to determine wages, hours and other conditions of employment through direct negotiations between the Employees’ Association/Union and the employer.