What is Collective Bargaining?
Collective bargaining is the first step in securing acceptable wages, working hours, health care, pensions, job security and safety for workers. We have all seen the result of weakening collective bargaining power. While American workers are more productive and working harder than ever, their real earnings have been declining steadily since the early 1970s. While many employees work without health and personal coverage, others have seen their benefits slashed. The only way to reverse these disturbing trends is by increasing our collective power.


Unions Raise Wages Through Collective Bargaining
Collective bargaining raises wages and benefits for all union workers regardless of ethnic group or gender. As of March 2001, union workers total weekly compensation was 39 percent more than nonunion workers: $1,112 vs. $799.20. This works out to a union advantage of $16,276 per year.
(Source: United States Department of Labor)

Union Workers Are More Likely to Get Health and Pension Benefits
Union workers also have much better benefit coverage than nonunion workers. Nine out of 10 workers at unionized firms with more than 100 employees are covered by health insurance through their job; fewer than eight out of 10 workers at nonunion establishments have such coverage. When you look at benefits such as prescription drug coverage, vision and dental care, the union advantage is even greater.

More than eight of 10 workers at unionized firms with more than 100 employees are covered by defined benefit pension plans, compared with fewer than half of employees at nonunion firms. The union advantage is even greater for sickness and accident insurance coverage—and for all of these benefit programs and others, the union advantage is greater still in firms with fewer than 100 employees.

Union Workers Have Greater Job Security
Union workers are employed under terms and conditions agreed to in collective bargaining with their employer. They have grievance procedures and a voice in the workplace. They have better training and higher pay. They tend to have greater job security than nonunion workers, as measured by the number of years that they stay on their jobs.

The Quality Control Council of the United States and the Nondestructive Testing Contractors Association have negotiated the National Nondestructive Testing Agreement. The accompanying collective bargaining agreement is offered on this web site only by way of example. The parties from time to time negotiate modifications to the agreement. By posting this collective bargaining agreement on this web site the parties are not offering the agreement for contract, absent negotiations. The controlling collective bargaining agreement language for any employees is the document signed and kept on file by the Quality Control Council.

To Request a copy of the National Nondestructive Testing Agreement click here.