Organizing

It is important for you as an employee to know and understand all your rights as a valuable part of your company. When working to unionize your store, there are certain things your employers cannot, by law, ask you about, threaten you with, or comment on. These regulations have been stipulated by the National Labor Relations Act. Should you become the victim of any of the following, contact a union representative immediately.

Management cannot:

• Threaten to fire, discharge or punish you should you engage in union activity.
• Give employees who speak out against the union special favors or concessions, and they cannot promise employees promotions who initially support and then oppose forming a union.
• Bar employee union representatives from talking with members during non-working hours.
• Inquire about confidential union matters, including union meetings, union representatives or the union itself.
• Ask you how you intend to vote, or whether or not you currently belong to a union or have signed up to belong to a union.
• Alter your work assignments, your work environment, or working conditions with the intention of firing an employee based on his/her affiliation with the union.
• Threaten or coerce you in an attempt to influence your vote.
• Make threats regarding the discontinuation of benefits, wages, vacations, or job security should you and your fellow employees vote for a union.

Unions mean more power for workers to bargain for better wages and benefits. For management, however, a union means less power and control. As a result, many employers tend to resort to both subtle and drastic measures to keep workers from speaking out. When workers stick together they can overcome management’s tactics and in the end make a better place to work for everyone.

Many employers respect workers’ rights and basic freedom to choose when it comes to union representation, but sometimes they try to get in the way.

Find out more about getting a voice on the job:

• Forming a Union
• What you may expect from your employer

When considering forming a union in your workplace, it is important you know the facts about a union. Management may take advantage of your lack of knowledge about the union, therefore you must be equipped with some basic information.

What is a union?
A union is a group of workers who join together to achieve better wages, better benefits, respect on the job, and a stronger voice in workplace decisions. With the help of a union, workers negotiate a contract with their employer to ensure these things.

Without a union, employers have 100% control over its employees and complete authority to make all decisions. Unions give employees some of this control to make their workplace better. A union’s major goal is to give workers a voice on the job for respect, safety, security, better pay and benefits, and other improvements to working conditions.

Who runs the union?
You and your fellow workers run the union. You elect your own negotiating committee, and prepare your own list of improvements for a union contract. You elect your officers and you have worker representatives who understand the contract so they can help other workers with questions and represent them if their are problems.

How does the union work?
After a majority of workers in your workplace vote for a union, you will elect a negotiating committee from among your co-workers. The negotiating committee will then survey workers to see what they want in their contract. With the assistance of union negotiators, the committee will bargain with management to negotiate a contract. Legally, both sides must bargain in “good faith,” meaning they must be willing to work together and reach an agreement on a contract. Issues typically discussed are wages, benefits, and working conditions. Once a majority of workers approve a contract, it immediately goes into effect.

Can we lose the benefits we have now if we unionize?
No. Threatening to take away your benefits is a commonly used scare tactic employers use to keep workers from forming a union. The purpose of forming a union is to win improvements within the workplace, not lose them. On average, unionized workers earn a third more than non-unionized workers in wages and benefits.

What benefits can the union guarantee?
When workers come together with the strength of the union behind them, they have the power to bargain and a collective voice that could not be achieved without a union. Because it is you, the workers, who make the decisions about your contract, no guarantees can be made. However, once the union is voted in, the contract will be legally binding and the union will make sure it’s enforced.