Unionized employees tend to be paid more, have better benefits, and more due process at work than their non-unionized counterparts. Workers who unionize tend to have better insurance, more vacation time, better retirement security, fairer wages for women and minorities, and more paid leave for expecting parents and injured workers. If an employer refuses to treat their employees fairly, a union can go on strike and refuse to work. [3] X Trustworthy Source National Labor Relations Board Independent U. S. government agency responsible for enforcing U. S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Go to source
Unionizing while you’re clocked in at work is almost certainly going to be against your company’s policy, and it’s actually illegal in some states. To avoid getting in trouble, reach out to your coworkers when nobody is actually on the job. If you start by approaching coworkers who you know aren’t fond of unions (or who tend to suck up to management), they may run off and tell your boss instead of joining your efforts. Whenever possible, actually talk. Don’t text or email. That way, if anyone wants to turn you in, they won’t have evidence you’re trying to form a union.
For example, if a school teacher wants to unionize, they can choose to include other teachers, the janitors, and security staff. However, they shouldn’t ask the department heads, HR, or assistant principal to join.
Once everybody is on board with the idea of forming a union, you can begin the official process. So long as 30% of you are interested in forming a union, you can host a legally-protected vote. If over 50% of you are interested, your union will be recognized once that vote takes place. This is a good time to talk about who wants to be on the union’s central committee.
A lot of union organizations are state-based, so if you look online and can’t find a union to join, try searching for your specific state. Just call the union’s main phone number and explain the situation. Organizers will know what you need to do and they’ll help you along the way. You’ll also have immediate access to the preexisting union’s legal counsel and organizational structure, which makes the early work a breeze.
The states where card checks aren’t automatically acknowledged are mostly the same list as the “right to work” list. Even if the card check doesn’t officially make you a union, it’s still important to perform this step. In most states, the cards themselves provide certain legal protections under the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). [10] X Trustworthy Source National Labor Relations Board Independent U. S. government agency responsible for enforcing U. S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Go to source
The NLRB will take several weeks to schedule the election and determine voter eligibility. During this time, you can continue the union campaign to encourage more members to sign cards.
This is where having a professional union organizer is really helpful. They’ll know what a fair offer from management looks like given the strength of your union. There are typically legal restrictions on what can and cannot be included in a union contract, so reach out to a local labor attorney if you need help.
Remember, if you’re in a right-to-work state like Florida or Indiana, your union cannot require your coworkers to join the union if they don’t want to—even if your union vote was over 50%.
You can consult a local labor attorney to find out what your rights are if you can’t find information online. The key consideration is whether your state is “right-to-work” or not. Right-to-work states have laws that make it difficult for unions to negotiate or form in the first place. Do not worry if your job is “at will. ” You’re legally protected here—your job can’t fire you for trying to form a union. [17] X Research source
