A voice at work the boss can't ignore

As a worker, you have a right under federal law to form a Union, select representatives of your choice and bargain collectively with your employer. This helps balance the power that an employer has over his individual employees.

Belonging to a Union gives you rights under law that you do not have as an individual. Once you have formed a Union, your employer must bargain with you over your wages, hours and working conditions.

The Union Advantage

How does the Union work?

A Union is a democratic organization of a majority of the employees in a facility. The basic idea of a Union is that by joining together with co-employees to form a Union, workers have a greater ability through their strength in numbers to improve conditions at the worksite. In other words, "In unity there is strength."

The primary purpose of the Union is to represent workers in their employment and to negotiate a contract that improves wages, benefits and working conditions and protects workers from unfair treatment. The basis of the contract negotiated with the employer is determined by the workers affected by the proposed contract. After the contract is negotiated, it can only take effect if it is voted on and ratified (approved) by the workers.

Officers are nominated and elected from among the members of a local Union. Any member who meets the qualifications for office may be nominated and elected to office within a local Union. Elections are held in the United States every three years in Operating Engineer local Unions.

Union dues

Membership in the Operating Engineers, like membership in any other organization, comes with the obligation to pay periodic dues. These dues are set by a vote of the membership. The dues help pay for the costs of representing workers' interests and collective bargaining.

It really doesn't cost to belong to a Union, it pays. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the difference between Union and non-Union pay is $154.00 per week. That is a difference of $7,392 per year.

Dues for Local 564 are 1 and ˝ hours per month. Example: for a worker making $10.00 per hour, dues would be $15.00 per month.

The truth about strikes

When Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act, it guaranteed workers the right to join Unions and the legal right to strike. Without these rights, we'd be working for slave wages, as they do in countries where there are no Unions and no freedoms.

Strikes are very uncommon today. The U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that only one work day out of a thousand is lost due to a strike. In the latest year for which statistics are available, only 5% of all Union members were involved in a strike. Ninety-eight (98%) percent of all labor agreements are reached without a strike.

However, strikes are sometimes necessary. When all else fails, employees will sometimes have to strike to win their contract needs. This usually happens when employers are unreasonable and need to be shown how valuable the contribution of workers really is. The right to strike is a potent weapon in the right to gain a fair contract. The exercise of that precious right is entirely up to the members affected by the contract. But without a credible threat to strike, the employer holds all the power and bargaining would be reduced to collective begging. Almost all contract settlements are reached without workers resorting to strikes.

Your rights to join a Union

The National Labor Relations Act Says:

Section 7:
"Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representation or their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining..."

Your Legal Rights

You have the legal right under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act to join or support a Union and to:

• Attend meetings to discuss joining a Union
• Read, distribute, and discuss Union literature (as long as you do this in non-work areas during non work times, such as during breaks or lunch hours.)
• Wear Union buttons, T-shirts, stickers, hats or other items on the job.
• Sign a card asking your employer to recognize and bargain with the Union.
• Ask other employees to support the Union, to sign Union cards or petition, or to file grievances.

Section 8 (a):
"It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer... to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7...."

For example... Your employer cannot legally do the following:

• Threaten to or actually fire, lay off, discipline, harass, transfer, or reassign employees because they support the Union.
• Favor employees who don't support the Union over those who do in promotions, job assignments, wages, hours, enforcement of rules, or any other working condition.
• Shut down the worksite or take away any benefits or privileges employees already enjoy in order to discourage Union activity.
• Promise employees a pay increase, promotion, benefit or special favor if they oppose the Union.

Here Are Some Things You Can Expect to Hear & the Facts You Need to Know...

Management: The Union will be run by outsiders.
FACT: You and your co-workers will vote for your own rules, and run your own affairs. You elect the people to run your Union for you. You elect these people. You run your Union.

Management: The union cannot do anything for you.
FACT: With a Union contract, workers can do a lot for themselves. The company knows this. Their aim in keeping the Union out is to keep you from having a voice.

Management: The Union will force you to go out on strike.
FACT: Nobody can force you to go out on strike. There will never be a strike at your workplace unless the workers vote for one.

Management: With negotiations, you'll lose the wages and benefits you already have. You'll have to start from scratch.
FACT: When you negotiate a first contract, you start with the pay and benefits you have now and build on them. You'll decide what to ask for in your contract, then vote on it.