Unions are organizations specifically designed to protect and improve the social and economic welfare of their members. The primary responsibility of modern unions is to actively bargain with management officials regarding labor issues, such as wages, benefits, and the contractual terms and conditions associated with the employment of union members. Unions charge their members dues as a means of compensating union officials for the bargaining services they provide union members. Unions can also charge nonmembers fees, less than full dues, also known as agency fees, for the cost of representing their interests. This formal process of negotiating the contractual terms of employment, including salaries, working conditions, and fringe benefits between union officials representing employees and employers, is called the collective bargaining process. This entry looks ...