Organizing What to Expect
What to Expect!
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 form a union, but sometimes they try to get in the way.
Forming a Union
The best way to form a union is to talk to your coworkers. Whether you are anywhere from the break room to the parking lot—go out of your way to start a conversation.
Communicate and connect with the people you work with and find out whether your concerns are more than just isolated issues. Bring your fellow workers together around these matters to bring about change.
One your coworkers have agreed and are mobilized to form a union there is a formal process that you must undertake with your employer.
The easiest and usually quickest way to gain union representation is through a "card check agreement." This is where the employer agrees not to interfere with workers’ choice to join a union. Once a majority of the employees fill out and sign authorization cards, they gain union representation.
When you reach the negotiation phase, you elect a group of your fellow workers to a negotiating committee. The purpose of the negotiating committee is to assist professional union negotiators in getting a fair deal while negotiating your contract. The negotiating committee will survey the wants and needs of you and your co-workers to find out what the major concerns are and how best they could be solved through the contract.
Collective bargaining takes place between two groups - one composed of the negotiating committee and your union representative, and the other composed of representatives from management.
Usually after each collective bargaining session, the contract is returned to you and your fellow workers for discussion. Once the negotiating committee agrees that they have a good contract, they will bring it to their fellow co-workers for a final decision. Should the workers reject the contract, it will go back to the bargaining table for further negotiations until a contract is agreed upon. However, if a majority of employees approves the contract, the contract then goes into effect.
If you are in one of the states listed below you won’t automatically enjoy the benefits of being a union member after a contract has been agreed on. Instead contact one of your union representatives to sign-up.
'Right-to-Work' States: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho
