Advantages of a Tandem Benefits Policy

Among the more successful techniques that may be used by employers with a union already at a plant, or another facility at the company, is the policy of granting tandem benefits. This involves extending pay and benefit improvements to nonunion workers (either blue‐ or white‐collar) subsequent to, and at least equivalent to (and sometimes greater than), the economic gains negotiated by unions at the company. Members of voting units in an election campaign where the union has been defeated often cite their employer's tandem benefits policy as the most important reason for their lack of interest in unionization. When the tandem approach to salaries or wages is combined with the lawful tactic of suggesting that as a result of negotiations employees' better coverage in company‐sponsored, nonunion benefits programs may be lost, the strategy seems to be particularly effective.