Union Organizing

When workers have a union, they have a voice on the job. Working together, they negotiate good wages and working conditions so they can provide a better life for their families. Union members have higher wages, greater job stability, retirement security, and access to quality healthcare for their families. It is no wonder that 57 million Americans who are not union members say they want to be part of one.

Sadly, workers are routinely denied that basic right. One out of four employers actually fire workers for trying to form a union. Many employers hire expensive lawyers and anti-union consultants to delay any union election, sometimes for years. In this climate, workers often feel powerless.

While the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) establishes that workers have the right to join unions, it provides for a union election that is unlike any real democratic election—because one side has all the power. In a NLRA election, the employer can prohibit workers from talking about the union, harass workers who support the union, and intimidate workers with few, if any, repercussions.

Numerous reports have documented the harassment, intimidation, and illegal firings faced by workers who try to organize a union. The statistics are staggering: 25% of employers faced with an organizing drive fire at least one worker for supporting the union. More than half of all companies tell workers they will close down if workers vote for the union.

Majority sign-up, or “card check,” is a better way for workers to choose whether or not to join a union. Under majority sign-up, workers have the chance to talk to each other about the union without facing employer harassment. Instead of waiting months or even years for an election while the employer runs an anti-union campaign, workers who want a union simply sign cards asking the union to represent them in collective bargaining.

 

Unions 101

How to Form a Union Where You Work

Using the California Labor Laws Offensively

Majority Sign-Up or “Card Check”

The Employee Free Choice Act

“Why I Joined a Union” Stories from the AFL-CIO

Labor Education in California

Unions: Working People Standing Together

Labor unions are about a simple proposition: By joining together, working women and men gain strength in numbers so they can have a voice at work about what they care about. They negotiate a contract with their employer for things like a fair and safe workplace, better wages, a secure retirement and family-friendly policies such as paid sick leave and scheduling hours. They have a voice in how their jobs get done, creating a more stable, productive workforce that provides better services and products.

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Majority Sign-Up or “Card Check”

Majority sign-up, or “card check,” is a better way for workers to choose whether or not to join a union. Under majority sign-up, workers have the chance to talk to each other about the union without facing the same kind of employer harassment. Instead of waiting months or even years for an election while the employer runs an anti-union campaign, workers who want a union simply sign cards asking the union to represent them in collective bargaining. This is a fair and democratic process that respects the will of the majority.

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How to Form A Union Where You Work

If you do not have a union at your job, find out more about how to form one. Today, more people are taking the step to form unions on the job than at any time in recent history. You can be one of them! Click here for three steps that will get you started.

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