What are the advantages and disadvantages of union membership for retail workers?

Unions can give individual employees in any workplace a unified voice when it comes to negotiating with their employer for issues like fairness, pay, benefits, worker rights, overtime, etc. This is particularly helpful if employees have tried and failed to make improvements on their own or in ad hoc groups. This is the main goal and 'advantage' pro-union people will cite for joining a union.

The disadvantages anti-union folks will cite include: requiring you to pay for their political messaging whether you like it or not; puts a burden on your employer which could mean reduced chances of advancement, raises and new hires; they say Unions claim to care about you and your family, but only care about the money they can extract from you and the employer for their own agenda.