Benefits of a Collective Bargaining Agreement

Collective Bargaining Agreements 

The National Labor Relations Act guarentees the right of private employees to form and join unions to bargain collectively with management. Wages, hours and working conditions must be bargained over and the employer and the union are legally bound to follow the collective bargaining agreement. Wages include benefits such as health insurance, which is usually a part of the collective bargaining agreement.

A collective bargaining agreement gives workers a collective voice in the determination of wages, hours and working conditions. The workers bargain the contract for themselves. The employer cannot unilaterally determine the terms and conditions of employment when the union has been selected as the bargaining agent for the employees.

Some states do not allow public sector employees, which includes state, county and municipal employees, to form unions and bargain collectively. In the states that do allow public employee collective bargaining, many do not have meaningful collective bargaining. Many of these states limit what employers are required to bargain over with unions.