And let's be honest, how much "negotiating power" does your average non-union worker have with their employer? I don't even know who the people are that approve my raises. I can plead my case with my boss and my director, but even they have to get HR's approval, and that's hidden away deep in a whole other building.
How about this for an answer? "None".
For those of you who are non-union, how many have heard this one before "Oh, I think you deserve a raise and if it was up to me, you'd get it" or any other number of excuses? Ask for a meeting with the person who actually CAN make that decision and let me know how that works out for you.
Negotiating a good contract can be a difficult, protracted, and messy process, but if you are organized within your bargaining group, you can flex your collective muscle. We had to engage in a few strikes and other actions, but when the dust settled, we got, to name just a few things:
Guaranteed COLAs and within range pay increases (retroactively)
Enforceable health and safety provisions and work rules
Binding grievance procedures
Enhanced leaves
Mandatory reclassification reviews
And you know what else? The employer can't change those provisions even after the contract expired due to "status quo" regulations.
This is NOT BS, you will be better off if you are unionized. There's just no doubt about it.
One of our actions was to call a strike the day of the Chancellor's Inauguration. The keynote speaker, Leon Panetta, refused to cross the picket line. I was the local president at the time and guess who got a meeting with the Chancellor? Me. This was after several previous failed attempts to meet with her because "it was an HR issue and she couldn't get involved." Ha ha. She never liked me much after that one. LOL.