Unionized Professionals

Characteristics

In order to understand why the experience of unionization may be different for professionals and other types of workers, it is first important to understand the characteristics of professional occupations and of unions that may conflict with each other. There is a wide range of professional occupations, each with different definitions and structures. The occupations most widely recognized and acknowledged as professions are those such as medical doctor, lawyer, and engineer. The following generally applies to practitioners of these types of professions:

• Undergo extensive training using a standardized curriculum
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• May have to pass professional practice tests in order to be designated as a member of the profession
• Must join and maintain membership in a professional organization or regulatory body in order to work in the profession, and may have to participate in professional development activities to maintain their ongoing membership
• Exercise autonomy and professional judgment in carrying out their work tasks
• Agree to adhere to a standardized code of ethics or standards for professional practice
• May be subject to discipline from their professional organization or regulatory body for violations of professional practice standards or ethical standards

However, there are also occupations such as journalist that may be defined as professions even though they lack some of the criteria outlined above. Practitioners of these types of professions informally follow ethical standards and norms of practice affecting how work in the occupation is carried out. For example, in journalism, these standards and norms include striving for objectivity in reporting the news and using reliable sources of information. But these standards and norms are not enforced by a professional regulatory body with disciplinary power; also, although there are professional associations that practitioners of these occupations can join for networking and professional development purposes, membership in these associations is not required in order to achieve or maintain membership in the profession. Some authors have referred to workers in these types of occupations as “quasiprofessionals” or “paraprofessionals.”

Another category of professional occupations includes occupations such as skilled trades, where practitioners not only undergo standardized training but also have different statuses within the profession depending on their level of training and/or experience. For example, in many skilled trades, practitioners must complete training as apprentices and journeymen before becoming recognized as full members of the profession. In some of these occupations, there is also a professional or regulatory organization that practitioners must belong to; in others, a union fulfills the role of professional association and/or regulatory authority overseeing practice of the profession.

Finally, there are also occupations whose members may consider themselves professionals because of the specialized skill or training required to successfully perform work tasks and because of regulations governing work standards, but which would not usually be defined as professional occupations by society at large. Janitors are one example of this type of occupation. There are also occupations in which the status of “professional” is recognized only when the practitioner is paid for participating, such as in professional sports or the performing arts.

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