"The right question is - would my colleagues do a better job negotiating my compensation than I would?" Probably. We often tell ourselves that we are better a

"The right question is - would my colleagues do a better job negotiating my compensation than I would?" Probably. We often tell ourselves that we are better able to negotiate on our own behalf than anyone else, but the truth is that unionized workers usually receive better compensation than non-unionized workers. To put this another way, if you said you were thinking about quitting, would your employer respond by offering a raise? If you were embroiled in some kind of scandal and had to either quit or be fired, would you receive a severance? If not, then you are not important enough to have any real leverage to negotiate your compensation. As an individual you are probably easy to replace, and certainly much easier to replace than the entire workforce -- which is why unions usually negotiate better compensation than individuals.