Regardless of how many reasons that may be given for employee unrest, a union's initial negotiating demands ordinarily focus on wages and benefits because: History has shown that better pay and benefits are always the top concerns of any employee group. The union's negotiators always proceed in the apparent belief that getting people better pay and benefits will attract more membership Economic items such as pay and benefits are objectively measureable; other desires such as respect cannot be objectively measured. Salary and benefits have always been the employees' primary concerns