What is a union shop?

A union shop refers to a workplace arrangement in which employees are required to join a labor union within a certain period after being hired. This setup ensures that all workers in the shop are union members, contributing to the collective bargaining process and aligning with the union's goals and interests. The union shop model promotes solidarity among employees by streamlining the union's ability to represent and negotiate on behalf of all its members.

This requirement typically comes with a provision to ensure that all newly hired employees have a specified timeframe to become union members, thereby balancing the union's influence in the workplace while still providing new hires time to consider joining. This type of arrangement is common in certain industries and is intended to strengthen the union's bargaining power regarding wages, benefits, and working conditions.