Forming a Union in the Workplace
Talk to a few non-management co-workers confidentially to see if anyone else is interested in forming a union. It is critical to keep things private until you get some support from a union organizer.
Form an organizing committee - with at least two or three co-workers start having meetings to discuss what issues you will want to address as a union, then bring those issues to the union of your choice.
Find a union - You can use UnionBase.org to find a union that represents workers in your industry. For example: Healthcare Workers are often represented by nurses unions. Airline pilots are usually represented by airline pilots' unions.
When you contact union organizer you should be ready to explain what issues you and your co-workers face in your workplace. The organizer will help you understand how to begin the process of helping recruit other co-workers onto your organizing committee and get the majority of your co-workers excited to sign up to be a part of your new union.
Depending on the union you attempt to join and the strategy they use, you may be able to form a union by simply signing "authorization cards" or you may have to run a union election.
At UnionBase, we often hear questions like, "Can I join a union?", "is it good to join a union"?, "what union can I join", "what is a union" and "can I join a union of my own". We will be answering these questions and those relating to how to join a union both here on UnionBase and with our publication Workplace Leader. To get started, here's some information from the National Labor Relations Board (the government entity that oversees union elections) on your rights while attempting to join a union:
According to the National Labor Relations Board that oversees union elections in the United States:
The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or from working together to improve terms and conditions of employment, or refraining from any such activity. Similarly, labor organizations may not restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of these rights.
Examples of employer conduct that violates the law:
Threatening employees with loss of jobs or benefits if they join or vote for a union or engage in protected concerted activity.
Threatening to close the plant if employees select a union to represent them.
Questioning employees about their union sympathies or activities in circumstances that tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act.
Promising benefits to employees to discourage their union support.
Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they engaged in union or protected concerted activity.
Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they filed unfair labor practice charges or participated in an investigation conducted by NLRB.