Trade Unions FAQ
What is a union?
A union is a group of employees in which a majority decide to bargain collectively totry to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. They can do this independently orwith the help of an established labor organization.
How do you form a union?
Basically, you sign a "union card" (a card that indicates that you wouldlike to form a union at your workplace). If a majority of employees sign such a card, thecards are given to a government agency (The NLRB - The National Labor Relations Board)which then schedules and oversees a secret ballot election to see if the employees reallydo want a union. If a majority votes "Yes" then a union is formed, with whichthe company must bargain over wages, benefits and working conditions.
What does a union do?
The primary objective of a union is to secure a contract which spells out the wages,benefits and working conditions for employees. Once a contract is signed by the employerand ratified by the employees, the union then exists to help any employee who wants suchhelp to smooth over problems with management. This is done through the grievanceprocedure.
The what?
The grievance procedure is a procedure spelled out in the contract that explains howany conflicts between employees and management is to be resolved. Basically it works asfollows: Let's say you've been written up for something and you feel it isn't fair. Youtalk with your managers but they refuse to do anything about it. You then go to your shopsteward (see below) to get help. The steward sits down with you and management and triesto resolve the issue. If it can't be resolved at this meeting, a business agent for theunion (see below) will come to the store to talk with management. If they still cannotresolve the problem to everyone's satisfaction, the business agent will appeal to uppermanagement. If this step fails, both parties will bring in a neutral arbitrator who willissue a final decision.
What's a shop steward and a business agent?
A shop steward is simply a coworker that is elected by you to make sure that thecontract isn't violated. In addition, s/he is the person to contact when an employee has aproblem with management and wants union help. A business agent is an official of the unionthat handles any problems the shop steward cannot.
What besides the grievance procedure goes into a contract?
See What goes in acontract?
Who negotiates the contract?
The company and the union put teams together. The company's team is usually comprisedof lawyers, local management and upper management officials. The union team usuallyconsists of bargaining unit (see below) employees, lawyers, and union negotiators.
What kind of say do I get in the contract?
Before contract talks, the union passes out a form on which you list those thingsyou'd like to see in a contract. The union uses this to base the negotiation on.Furthermore, you could be on the negotiating team, but at the very least you get to voteon the contract. If a majority doesn't approve of the contract, the negotiating team hasto go back to the drawing board.
How long do contracts last?
Usually 3 to 5 years.
What's this "bargaining unit" thing I've heard about?
The bargaining unit defines which employees are eligible to vote for and be in theunion. Excluded by federal law are managers and security guards.
Hey, if I sign a union card, does that mean I have to vote yes in the election? Whatif I change my mind?
You can vote any way you like in the election whether or not you signed a card. It'ssecret ballot so no one, neither management nor anyone else, will ever know how you voted.If you do sign a card but later change your mind and want the card back, you can do so byasking for it back in writing.
What are union dues? What are they used for?
Union dues are the money you pay to the union to help pay for union support staff,legal costs, negotiation costs, arbitrator's fees, etc. Dues can range anywhere from$200-$500 a year depending on industry, the union, and the amount of money the unionmembers make.
Geez, isn't that a lot of money?
Yes, but these facts help: you don't pay a cent to the union until a contract isratified by the employees. So if wage and/or benefits gains in the contract don't morethan make up for your dues, simply turn the contract down.
What's a "union shop"?
This means that all employees in the bargaining unit (see above) must be part of theunion. It's a standard part of most contracts. It enables the union to bargain from astronger position, which benefits all employees.
Even if they voted against the union? That's not very fair.
Well, for better of worse, it's how democracy in our country works. What the majorityvotes for, the minority has to live with. Is it unfair that Dole supporters have to livewith Clinton as president? And remember, even those who opposed the union receive anyincreases in wages and/or benefits.
I've heard about union fines. What can I be fined for?
In theory, you can be fined for crossing picket lines, not doing a picketing shiftduring a strike, and such. But the Philly local (they only one I'm familiar with) of theUFCW has NEVER fined a member. Ever.
What's a "local"?
A union is set up kind of like the United States. There is a national government, butmany of the decisions that really affect you are on the state level. This is even moretrue of a union. There is an international union that oversees national operations. Butthe local takes care of the contract, helps employees that want help with managerialproblems, etc.
So what's this "International" do?
They lobby Congress for changes in laws that would benefit workers, send help to anylocals that need it, coordinate national organizing efforts, etc.
Can you give me a better idea of what will happen during a union drive?
You'll be asked at some point to sign a union card. Once about 65-75% of the employeesin the bargaining unit are signed up (legally, you could file with as few as 30% ofemployees signed up, but it's best to wait for a solid majority), the cards are submittedto the NLRB. (The National Labor Relations Board, the government agency that overseesunion/management relations.) The bargaining unit (see above) is finalized either by theNLRB or by agreement between the company and union. An election date is set. The secretballot election is held and a majority wins. Of course, during the few weeks before theelection, both management and pro-union employees will try to disseminate information.Management will do this through mandatory meetings and memos in your mailboxes. Pro-unionemployees will try to get you to talk with them about concerns, hold voluntary meetingsand may mail stuff to your home. Tensions may start to run high, but the best way to avoidthis is by feeling free to talk with you coworkers about your concerns.
How democratic are unions?
The whole process is democratic. You get to decide if you want to sign a card. Youdecide to vote yes or no for union representation. You decide what you want in a contract.You decide which employees will be on the negotiating team. You vote to ratify thecontract or not. You vote on who will be your shop steward. Every 3 years you vote on whowill be the officials of the local.
What if I have more questions?
Feel free to ask around. Ask both pro-union folk and management. Both would love to answeryour questions. Stop by a unionized store (ask a pro-union person to get you a list or aska union organizer where such a store is) and talk to the employees there. See what theythink of their union. Or ask to talk to a local union organizer.
From: http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~amatth13/#htu