Electrical Engineers and the Prospect of Unionizing

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Trade unions have been around since the Assyrian empire ruled Mesopotamia in 2334 BC and created common standards for length, area, volume, height and time. Those standards were used by artisan guilds to build ships and guarantee workers a 2-shekel (about $640 US) wage for each vessel constructed outlined in an employment contract. Today, unions are legally recognized in many industries, including construction, transit, education, auto, aviation and more, providing workers with improved safety, attaining better wages and benefits (vacation, healthcare, retirement, etc.).

There are currently over 192,000 employed engineers in the US in any given discipline – mechanical, chemical, software, structural, civil, electrical and others, and while the average salary is over $78,000, a majority of engineers do not belong to a union. It's important to note that there are unions for engineers, especially those working with large cities, the government, aerospace and the military. These are usually occupied by specialists or SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) in their respective fields and are contracted with others for particular projects. While most of those working in the engineering disciplines can become part of a union, those working as electrical engineers may find it's almost nonexistent outside of those industries mentioned above.

This begs the question – should there be local unions for electrical engineers or any discipline for that matter? The underlying aspect of any union is to ensure workers are provided with a competitive wage, along with a host of benefits. It would also allow them to be contracted anywhere the union serves, a prospect that some find appealing. To that end, to join a union, EEs would have to be certified, which entails completing a degree program and satisfying a range of requirements, such as work experience. Once certified, engineers are granted the title of 'Professional.' They can contract with large and small companies and industries and are subject to a code of ethics they must adhere to or risk termination.

Trade unions offer apprenticeships to those who would like to join, providing classroom and onsite learning over several years before becoming a journeyman, where they are paid at scale for contract work and provided full benefits. Unions for EEs would have to function differently. They must have a degree or be certified before joining, unless apprenticeships are offered in some form, such as counseling and guidance for those attaining a degree, then guaranteed job placement after the requirements are met.

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is a professional association for EEs that provides educational and technical advancement in the EE disciplines. (Image credit: IEEE)

As it stands now, EEs have few options, if any, for joining unions locally and nationally. They do, however, have access to professional associations that include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which claims to produce 30% of the world's literature in electrical engineering, has over 360,000 members worldwide and holds over 3,000 conferences annually. They also have access to the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), which has published 21 journals, has a worldwide membership of over 150,000 and claims to be the largest professional engineering society in Europe. Considering obsolescence of technical skills is a serious concern for electrical engineers, membership and participation in technical societies, regular reviews of periodicals in the field and a habit of continued learning are essential to maintaining proficiency.

Perhaps the closest organization to being a union for EEs is the National Society for Professional Engineers (NSPE) – a professional association representing licensed EEs and is the recognized voice and advocate of licensed Professional Engineers represented in 53 state and territorial societies and over 500 local chapters. According to the NSPE, the association serves as the recognized and authoritative expert in licensure, ethics, and professional practice; promotes licensure and assists individuals in becoming licensed; and protects and enhances the value of licensure and the opportunities for the licensed engineer. The NSPE provides guidance in becoming a licensed engineer, resources and scholarships for students, educational courses and seminars, career advancement, job placement, networking and more.

While there are many benefits that could be had for unionizing EEs, there are some drawbacks as well. Some EEs don't want the number of years working to dictate pay or seniority, don't want to work with bad engineers that are protected, and would rather not work with outdated processes or methods. Politics is another issue EEs could do without, as unions typically fall to one side or the other in the political spectrum and don't want their dues going to candidates that don't represent them. Perhaps the ability to leave a job in favor of another is another reason not to unionize.

Some engineers would opt out of unionizing as they feel they can better negotiate contracts themselves rather than using a representative that speaks for a collective. The added aspect of being exempt from regulations outside the scope of a job contract can also be beneficial, especially if overtime income can be negotiated above scale. It's also easier to get permits for jobs that fall under the 'consultant' category that would otherwise be unavailable to those in unions without seniority. The amount of work also varies from project to project, and no one wants compensation to be the same across the board, as increased productivity should scale with the project.

At the end of the day, there are positive aspects to joining a union and individual contract work, but the EEs dictate what's best for them. If a majority would prefer to unionize, they could petition to start local or national unions and lay the foundation guidelines to create a chapter. As it stands, it seems individual contracting is the popular route, and there's nothing wrong with that. After all, it's your profession; excel at it and do what's best for you, as most companies and industries value talent above anything else.

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