(PHILADELPHIA) - Anyone Reading the Newspaper Would Assume Unions and Management Can't Possibly Get Along and That the Worst Thing That Could Happen to Any Business Would be for it to Have a Unionized Workforce.  Yet, When Jeffrey Brown Founded His 11-Store Chain of Shoprite Supermarkets, he "Chose to be Union."

Here's Why:

"Well, I Was Coming From My Dad’s Business That Was Unionized," Brown, Who’s Founder of Brown's Super Stores Incorporated, Which Operates Supermarkets in and Around Philadelphia, Told The Philadelphia Inquirer During an Interview. "I Was ‘Accustomed’ to Operating That Way.  I Guess One Side of Union That’s ‘Not Really Advertised’ is the Employees are Sort of ‘Guaranteed’ a Certain Level of Compensation, Because They’re Going to Have Someone Experienced to Negotiate for Them.  I Think if You’re Going to Work in This Business, You’ve Got a ‘Better’ Job if You’re Working in a Unionized Store.

The Main Unions at Brown's Supermarkets are United Food & Commercial Workers Locals 1776, 152 And 1360. 

Question: You Mean Your Employees Will Do a Better Job?

Brown: No, the Employee Has a Better Proposition With Health Insurance and There’s Somebody Bargaining for Them.

Q: Why is That Good for You?

Brown: Because I Think it Enables Me to Get More Serious People About the Business.  If You Really Want To Do This as a Career, You Probably Would be Better Off in a Unionized Store. 

Q: Do You Find Any Problem Firing People Who Don’t Do a Good Job?

A: You Know, Today the Laws are So Much More Significant Than They Were When I Started the Business and You Just Can’t Fire People, Whether You’re Union or Non-Union.  There Has to be a Process of Progressive Discipline and Communication, and Giving the Person a Chance to Correct Whatever it is They’re Doing Wrong.  And Often if You Do That, They Do Correct it Once They Understand What They’re Doing Wrong.  Then, You Don’t Need to Fire Them.  I Would say We Spend a Similar Effort Whether They’re Union or Non-Union.  For an Employee That’s Not Doing Their Job it’s a Similar Amount of Effort, Because I Have the Law to Contend With and There’s Also Morality.  You Want to Give a Person a Chance to Fix Their Problem.  You Just Don’t Want to Fire Them, Because Who Wants to Work for Someone Who’s Firing Everybody?  

You Can Directly Access This Labor News Story at: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/jobs/INQ_Jobbing_Supermarket_Choosing-to-be-union-ShopRite-Jeff-Brown.html

And if You’re Interested in How to Join or Form a Union, Go to: www.aflcio.org/Learn-About-Unions/How-to-Join-or-Form-a-Union