A union is an organization of workers who come together to have a say in improving their work and the quality of work within the organization. On many occasions, unions help an organization's employees negotiate wages, benefits, flexible schedules, and other working conditions that may arise. Unions have a role because some degree of conflict is inevitable between workers and management (Noe, 2003). In this article I will discuss the impact of unions and labor relations within an organization. Unions Unions represent workers' interests, and the collective bargaining process provides a way to manage conflict (Noe, 2003). Now more than ever, unionized employees have come to view unionization as a way to gain an effective voice to improve their work and the quality of work they provide to the organization. Furthermore, union members have a sense of political power to enforce workers' rights. For example, one of the largest unions for Kaiser Permanente is United Healthcare Workers SEIU Local 399. UHW is proud to be not only the fastest growing union in the nation, but also the largest and most powerful healthcare union west of the Mississippi. its pros and cons for both the employee and the employer. Some individuals believe that it is better not to be a member of a union while others believe that they would not want to work in a non-union environment. If an individual works for a large organization, it is likely that it would be in his or her best interest to be a member of a union. ......middle of paper......ice, reducing costly staff turnover and improving job satisfaction. The Labor Management Partnership is the largest and most complex healthcare partnership in the United States, with the largest number of unions, business units and employees. It is nationwide and covers the widest variety of job classifications and skills (www.kp.org). Conclusion In conclusion, unions are important because they help an organization's employees negotiate wages, benefits, flexible schedules, and other working conditions that may arise. Unions have a role because some degree of conflict is inevitable between workers and management (Noe, 2003). References www.kp.org Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 1eRaymond Andrew Noe, John R. Hollenbeck, Barry Gerhert, Patrick M. Wright (2003) www.laborrelations.comwww.ehresources.com