Keep in mind that the minimum number of working hours to qualify for those benefits is 20hrs/wk, and getting that isn't a guarantee. (Anecdotally - I had ~30hrs of availability and I wouldn't get scheduled for more than 12hrs most weeks, and my coworkers were in similar spots.) A union, ideally, would ensure that benefits like your health insurance can't be taken from you because the company won't let you work long enough to qualify for it.

t. former barista