Why Organize?
In a perfect world your employer would provide you with decent wages, good benefits, a safe place to work, and treat you with respect. Unfortunately, most do not.

• In the United States workers organized Unions to protect one another by Bargaining Collectively to establish rules of conduct, wages and benefits.
• To protect themselves from employers who have taken advantage of them.

Workers organize over some very basic issues;

• When Company polices are not clear and understandable.
• When Supervisors are inconsistent in regards to non-discriminatory work practices.
• When workers are unclear in respect to work schedules, time-off, work assignments, pay cuts, or any other changes.
• When Supervisors lack fair, consistent and tactful disciplinary procedures.
• When workers are mistreatment by supervisors and owners.
• Disrespectful, discourteous, and inconsiderate treatment.
• The inability of the Company to listen when workers speak.
• The unwillingness of the Company to address work place problems.
• Unwillingness of supervisors to represent workers when they are right.
• Lack of sympathy for workers personal problems.
• Lack of supervisory training.
• Poor working Conditions.
• Unresolved Grievances.
• A lack of respect, dignity and work place justice.
• Low Wages, Poor Benefits and Poor Retirement Plans.(Amazingly, Poor Wages and Benefits are usually not the primary reasons workers organize.)

Unionized Workers Earn More

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor unionized workers earn 28% more then nonunion workers.
• Unionized women earn 31% more than nonunion women.
• Unionized African Americans earn 37% more than nonunion African American workers.  
• And Unionized Latin American Workers earn 55% more than nonunion Latin American Workers.

Unions Increase Productivity

• According to most recent studies. The voice that union members have on the job--sharing in decision-making about promotions and work and production standards--increases productivity and improves management practices. Better training, lower turnover and longer tenure also make union workers more productive.

(Source: Dale Belman, "Unions, the Quality of Labor Relations, and Firm Performance," in Unions and Economic Competitiveness, eds. Lawrence Mishel and Paula B. Voos (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.: 1992), pp. 41-107.   Prepared by the AFL-CIO.)

Union Workers Stay Longer

• Nearly 50 percent of union workers have been with their current employers for at least 10 years, only 22 percent of nonunion workers can make the same claim. Union workers have greater job stability, in part because they're more satisfied with their jobs, receive better pay, have better benefits and have access to fair grievance procedures. Even more important, most collective bargaining agreements protect union members from unjust discharge. Nonunion workers are "employees at will" who can be fired at any time for any reason--or for no reason.

You Have a Right to Join a Union

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.
• Sign petitions or file grievances related to wages, hours, working conditions, and other job issues.
• Ask other employees to support the union, to sign union cards or petitions, or to file grievances.

Secret Ballot Elections
To establish a union in a workplace, a majority of employees must express support for the union.

In most situations, the employees prove majority support through a secret-ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.

"Good Faith" Bargaining
After the union's election victory is officially certified by the National Labor Relations Board, your employer is legally required to negotiate in "good faith" with the union on a written contract covering wages, hours, and other working conditions.

Protection From Employer Action
Under Section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act, your employer cannot legally punish or discriminate against any worker because of union activity.

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 do not support the union over those who do I promotions, jobs assignments, wages, hours, enforcement or rules, or any other working condition.
• Shut down the work site or take away any benefits or privileges employees already enjoy in order to discourage union activity.
• Promise employees to pay increase, promotion, benefit, or special favor if they oppose the union.

Enforcing Your Rights
Some employers try to prevent the workers from joining a union.

The best way to encourage your employer to recognize your union and negotiate a fair contract is to build a strong organization where you work.

If your employer violates the law, the union can help you file "unfair labor practice" charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

The Labor Board has the power - backed up by the federal courts - to order an employer to stop interfering with employee rights, to provide back pay, and to reverse any action taken against workers for union activity.

You can help protect your legal rights by:

• Keeping written notes of any incident in which company officials or supervisors threaten, harass, or punish workers because of union activity.
• Immediately reporting any such incidents to your organizing committee and union staff.

Your notes don't have to be worded a certain way, but you should include what was said or done, who was involved, where and when it happened, and the names of any witnesses.

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 of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining..."

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..."