A union is a group of workers who join together to achieve better wages, better benefits, respect on the job, and a stronger voice in workplace decisions. With the help of a union, workers negotiate a contract with their employer to ensure these things. 

Without a union, employers have 100% control over you and the authority to make all decisions. Unions give workers some control to make their workplace better. A union's major goal is to give workers a voice on the job for respect, safety, security, better pay and benefits, and other improvements to working conditions. Learn more about your rights, a typical union campaign, forming a union, what you can expect and commonly asked questions. Remember UFCW Local 876 is also available for your questions at 1.800. 321.6406 extension 8640. 

What to Expect

Unions mean more power for workers to bargain for better wages and benefits. For management, however, a union means less power and control. As a result, many employers tend to resort to both subtle and sometimes drastic measures to keep workers from speaking out. When workers stick together they can overcome management's tactics and in the end make a better place to work for everyone. 

Some employers respect worker's rights and basic freedom to choose when it comes to union representation, but sometimes they try make attempts to stop your efforts. 

Forming A Union - The Process

• Phase I - Forming a Union

There are two ways that workers can come together to form a union in their workplace. The easiest and usually the quickest way to gain union representation is through a "card check agreement." This is where the employer agrees not to interfere with workers' choice to join a union. Once a majority of the employees fill out and sign authorization cards, they gain union representation. 

If the employer doesn't agree to a card check and a majority to workers have signed authorization cards, then workers must hold a union election. Filling out an authorization card at this point does not make you a member of the union, or require you to pay any dues. It just shows that you would like to have an election so you and your co-workers can decide whether or not to form a union. 

• Phase 2 - Election

If your employer refuses to a card check agreement, the union will send a petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to conduct an election. You shouldn't have to wait longer that 5 to 8 weeks once the NLRB has been contacted. 

Since it is a secret ballot election, your boss will not know how you voted - just how many employees voted for union representation. 

• Phase 3 - Negotiations

The next phase begins when a bargaining committee is developed from amongst your co-workers. The purpose of the negotiating committee is to assist professional union negotiators in getting a fair deal while negotiating your contract. The negotiating committee will survey the wants and needs of you and your co-workers to find out what the major concerns are and how best they could be solved through a contract. 

Collective bargaining takes place between these two groups - one composed of the negotiating committee and your union representative, and the other composed of representatives from management or the company. 

Once the negotiating committee agrees they have a good contract, they will bring it to their fellow co-workers for a final decision. Should the workers reject the proposed contract, it will go back to the bargaining table for further negotiations until a contract is agreed upon. However, if a majority of employees approve the proposed contract, they will then have ample opportunity to vote or to ratify  it, only then does the contract goes into effect. 

• Phase 4 - Membership

Once a contract has been ratified, and is in effect, you will then be an eligible member of UFCW Local 876 and covered by all the protections and benefits that were negotiated in your new contract.  

Employer Tactics To Disarm Workers

Unions mean power for workers to bargain for a fair wage and affordable benefits. For management, however, a union also means less power and control for management. As a result many employers tend to resort to both subtle and drastic measures to keep workers from speaking out. When workers stick together they can overcome management's tactics and in the end make a better place to work for everyone. 

Some employers respect workers' rights and basic freedom to choose when it comes to union representation, but sometimes they will try to stop your efforts. It is important for you to know that you might encounter an employer that may attempt to coerce, manipulate, bribe, or even threaten you. 

• Typical Threats

Some companies that feel threatened by the idea of their workers being represented by a union seeking fair pay and benefits can resort to various tactics in order to keep you from organizing. These include love tactics and scare tactics that, while opposite in their approach, can both have equally damaging effect for workers trying to get an independent voice at work.

• Love Tactics - "Give Us A Chance!" Employers may admit to making mistakes assuring that those mistakes will be remedied, and will never occur again. Management may send out "love letters," which formally apologize for any wrong doings in the past, and even make promises for a better future. 
• Bribes - Your company may implement temporary changes or improvements in reaction to an union organizing campaign. These changes rarely last beyond the campaign because the employer has no reason to uphold them when the threat of a union goes away. Your employer is free to make these changes after your store votes for or against union representation, but it is illegal for the employer to interfere with the campaign. 
• A Sudden Change in Attitude - The attitude of your employer towards you and your fellow workers might dramatically improve. Management is suddenly very concerned with showing you how much they appreciate and respect you as a member of the company. Activities, such as lunches, dinners and picnics are organized for workers and their families - activities that did not exist before the union began the organizing campaign. 
• Things Managers Say to Sway Workers -

Management Won't Listen to the Union - Management wants you to believe that workers coming together in a union have little power, and that, should the workplace become unionized, management won't bargain with the workers, or comply with the worker's contract. What management doesn't want you to know is that, be Federal Law, they must cooperate when workers form a union.   

Threatening Your Benefits - It is against the law to threaten your benefits as punishment for supporting a union. 

Pressuring Team Leaders and Supervisors - Management may pressure your supervisors to subtly, or not so subtly, spread anti-union messages and or literature around your store. Many times, supervisors will use their personal relationships with employees to manipulate and harass. Again, under Federal Law, management is not allowed to promote, recruit, or fund any form of anti-union committee. 

We're A Family - We're A Team - Management might organize a mandatory meeting in order to spread an anti-union message throughout your workplace, emphasizing that the company is a family and should stand united against the union. It is not unusual for anti-union videos and other forms of propaganda to emerge at these meetings. Occasionally, they open these meeting up to question and answer sessions.

Union Busters - Management may get so desperate that they hire highly paid union-busting consultants. These people are paid to keep workers from forming a union at any cost. Many times, employers pay these people as much as or more than it would cost to make workplace improvements that would benefits workers. 

Strikes - The reality of strikes is that it's your choice. A union will examine many other alternatives before a strike would be deemed necessary. Statistically, less than 1% of thousands of UFCW negotiated contracts end in strikes. Only members of the union can decide to strike. 

Money, Money, Money - Your employer may attempt to frighten you with talk about all the money you will pay if you form a union. However, these claims are false. When workers come together to form a union at their workplace they aren't required to pay any of the costs associated with it. You will pay dues only when you have a contract. But dues bring large rewards in pay raises, benefits, job stability, representation and working conditions. The added pay and benefits workers receive through belonging to the union are much more than the cost of union dues. The dues go to pay for organizers, legal assistance, support staff, rent materials, etc... which are all needed to maintain good contracts and adequate representation. No one pays dues until the workers have voted to accept a contract. 

Your Rights

It is important for you as an employee to know and understand all your rights as a valuable part of your company. When working to unionize your workplace, there are certain things your employers cannot, by law, ask you about, threaten you with or comment on. These regulations have been stipulated by the National Labor Relations Act. Should you become the victim of any of the following, contact a union representative immediately. 

• Management Cannot: 

1. Threaten to fire, discharge or punish you should you engage in union activity. 
2. Give employees who speak out against the union special favors or concessions, and they cannot promise employees promotions who initially support and then oppose forming a union. 
3. Bar employee union representatives from talking with members during non-working hours. 
4. Inquire about confidential union matters, including union meetings, union representatives or the union itself.
5. Ask you how you intend to vote, or whether or not you currently belong to a union or have signed up to belong to a union. 
6. Alter your work assignments, your work environment, or working conditions with the intention of firing an employee based on his/her affiliation with the union. 
7. Threaten or coerce you in an attempt to influence your vote. 
8. Make threats regarding the discontinuation of benefits, wages, vacations, or job security should you and your fellow employees vote for a union.