Resources

What is a union?

• A union is a group of workers who come together to make decisions about the conditions of their work. Once we form our union, we bargain with management on wages, work hours, benefits, workplace health and safety, and other work-related issues. The product of that negotiation is a legally binding contract that protects us and our rights. We are the union!
• When we act together, we have the ability to address these issues on a larger scale and become part of the solution. And with a union, we can secure these wins in a legally binding contract. That means that no matter who is running the company, we are protected. Together, we have the power to make our workplace better, not just for ourselves, but for our current and future coworkers.

Know Your Rights

• Most private sector employees are covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This federal law guarantees employees "the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection," as well as the right "to refrain from any or all such activities."
• The NLRA makes it an Unfair Labor Practice for an employer "to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of these rights." 
• If an employer infringes on your rights under the NLRA an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) can be filed against them.  
• It is unlawful for an employer to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights. For example, employers may not respond to a union organizing drive by threatening, interrogating, or spying on pro-union employees, or by promising benefits if they forget about the union.
• The law also protects you and your co-workers when you take group action (which means two or more people) to address workplace concerns. Co-workers taking action together to address workplace issues is considered to be “Protected Concerted Activity” under federal law. 
• Protected concerted activity means that your employer cannot lawfully retaliate against you and your co-workers for taking action together to improve your workplace. To learn more or to see if these federal protections apply to your workplace, check out these Frequently Asked Questions as well as detailed information on Protected Concerted Activity