The Presentation Type: Informative or Persuasive?
My presentation is persuasive, as I want to have the ability to discuss and instruct a person on making a particular decision.
The Intended Audience of the Presentation
My intended audience is white-collar office workers, those that often do not consider action in cases where participation is not mandatory. I think that convincing them about a particular subject will be widely considered to be beneficial. Representing a major vocal portion of the workforce, the nation could benefit from them having a better, more informed outlook on their work environment.
The Topic of the Presentation
The topic for my presentation is joining a union. Work unions form a big and integral part of the relationship between an employee and their employer, acting as an intermediary between the two opposing forces. Due to the need of employers to acquire as much profit as possible, they can oftentimes forget to treat people with the dignity they deserve and compensate for their work efforts accordingly. In such cases, an organization supported by law that acts to protect the smaller entity in cases of injustice is needed. While many people have heard of unions, much less understand their true value or have any intention of joining a union.
With my presentation, I hope to convince the workers to act in their self-interest and become a part of an organization that can support their right to a stable work environment. I will outline the major work fields of unions and the types of activities they usually perform in an effort to deepen the understanding of my audience and build confidence. Then, I will convince them to join a union by listing many of its benefits, as well as discussing how they can help others while doing so.
Starting the Presentation
I will begin the presentation by highlighting the historical context which accompanied the creation of unions and the people behind these organizations. The audience must first become familiar with the origins of unions to understand their purpose and their role in the expansion of workers’ rights. I will feature a short historical account of the workplace conditions of people in the 19th century, the time before the emergence of unions. Then, I will remind the listeners of the benefits modern workers have in developed countries, such as paid sick leave and a minimum wage. By presenting a historical perspective, I want to demonstrate to the audience that unions managed to completely transform the nature of the workplace in numerous countries, including the United States.
Continuing the Presentation
In the body of the presentation, I will include more factual information by referencing key milestones in the labor union movement and giving examples of positive actions of the modern organizations working in this field. For instance, I will mention the significance of the Labor Relations Act of 1935, which allowed citizens of the United States to organize independent labor unions and engage in collective bargaining (Sexton, 2018). Providing information on the existence of such an act will help me persuade my audience that labor unions are completely legal entities protected by the laws of the country.
Moreover, I will share knowledge on the influence of unionization on wage inequality and the fair distribution of resources. As research indicates, through collective bargaining, unions in the advanced economies were able to secure higher salaries for their members on numerous occasions (Ahlquist, 2017). Such facts are necessary to show that labor unions, despite being in existence for more than a century, still constitute effective institutions.
Then, I will list a variety of advantages that my audience members can receive by joining a union. Apart from financial benefits, which were discussed earlier, there are others types of positive outcomes one can expect from unionization. For instance, unions promote safer working conditions which lead to fewer injuries among employees and stimulate democratic participation among workers (Hagedorn, 2016).
In other words, joining a union entails a better workplace environment and more equality among people working for the same company. Moreover, there is evidence that in the states with higher rates of unionization, social policies targeted at improving workers’ rights, such as annual leave, are adopted faster than by others (Engeman, 2021). Thus, labor unions contribute to the well-being of not only their members but also society in general.
Concluding the Presentation
At the conclusion of the presentation, I will attempt to summarize the primary ideas outlined in the essay and will produce the final thoughts on the main topic. I will once again remind the audience of the historical development of the labor union movement and its impact on the United States’ political system. I will once again reiterate the positive changes that a union can bring to the workplace and to the lives of its members. Finally, I will provide the audience with a short list of benefits of joining a labor union and will stress the importance of entering such organizations with the motivation to help others.
The Response from the Audience
As was stated earlier, my ultimate intention is to persuade my audience, with the help of the presentation, to become members of unions. Yet, there is also an additional purpose which is to educate people on the value of labor organizations in the life of every person and make them more interested in the subject. Thus, I would like to encourage people to research the topic themselves and recognize the effectiveness of unions.
References
Ahlquist, J. S. (2017). Labor unions, political representation, and economic inequality. Annual Review of Political Science, 20, 409–432. Web.
Engeman, C. (2021). When do unions matter to social policy? Organized labor and leave legislation in US States. Social Forces, 99(4), 1745–1771. Web.
Hagedorn, J., Paras, C., Greenwich, H., & Hagopian, A. (2016). The role of labor unions in creating working conditions that promote public health. American Journal of Public Health, 106(6), 989–995. Web.
Sexton, R. L. (2018). Exploring microeconomics. SAGE Publications.