How unions organize workers
Unions get new members (and new sources of income) by convincing workers to bring the union into their workplace to act as their "exclusive bargaining representative." The process of "organizing" groups of workers is governed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Typically, it involves the following steps:
1. The union chooses an organization to target and decides what groups of non-supervisory workers within that organization they
want to try to unionize.
2. Union organizers contact the targeted workers any way they can, including Facebook, Twitter, email, home visits, etc., to talk to
workers about why they should vote the union in.
3. The union tries to convince the workers to sign a card or petition saying they want the union to represent them. These are called
“authorization” cards or petitions.
-
If 30% or more of the targeted workers sign cards or petitions, the union can ask the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a vote. Due to recent changes in U.S. labor law, that vote could happen as quickly as two weeks after the NLRB receives the union’s request.
-
If more than 50% of the targeted workers – a majority – sign cards or petitions, the union can go directly to management and demand they recognize the union without a vote. Management can agree (in which case the union immediately becomes the representative for all of the targeted workers whether or not they signed a card or petition), or management can refuse (in which case the union probably will ask the NLRB to hold a vote). SunCoke strongly believes in the rights of our team members to participate in a secret ballot election, and would not agree to recognize a union without a vote.
4. If the NLRB holds a vote, everyone in the targeted group is eligible to vote by secret ballot, regardless of whether they signed a card or
petition.
-
If more than half of those who actually vote say “yes” for the union, then everyone in the group becomes represented by the union.
-
If the vote is tied or a majority of those who actually vote say “no,” everyone in the group remains non-union.
Here is a sample NLRB ballot:
Voting is extremely important!
If 500 workers are eligible but only 100 actually vote, and 51 vote “yes,” the union wins... and all 500 become represented by the union!
It's important to understand what "authorization" cards or petitions mean.
Authorization cards or petitions are the key to a union's efforts to unionize groups of workers. Unions must get signatures to ask the NLRB to hold an election, or to ask management to recognize them without a vote. Below are some sample authorization cards/petitions
These are legal documents that mean what they say. By signing, you authorize the union to speak for you in bargaining with management.
Unfortunately, many unions and their representatives do not explain authorization cards or petitions accurately. For example:
-
“Sign the card; it’s just to have a vote.” That’s not what the card says – it says “I want the union,” and it can bring in a union without a vote.
-
“Sign the card; it’s just to show you’re interested.” Again, the card says “I want the union,” not “I’m interested.”
-
“Sign the card so I can show my boss in the union I stopped by your house.” When union organizers visit workers at their homes, they often say this to get a signature. But by signing, you could bring in a union without being able to vote.
-
“If you don’t sign, we’ll make management fire you once we get in.” This is an illegal threat and it is NOT TRUE – unions CANNOT force management to fire workers for refusing to sign a union card.
No matter what anyone tells you about a union card or petition, the card or petition means what it says.
This "Know the Truth" handout from
the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers also doesn't
tell the truth.
It is NOT TRUE that "there is no
other purpose for the card" than
to have an election.
There are several ways signed cards
can bring in a union without
an election -- voluntary recognition
by management is just one.
Getting cards signed is so important
that union representatives may say
almost anything to get your signature.
Always remember: no matter what anyone tells you,
what the card says is exactly what the card means!
Here is the story of a group of workers
who learned the hard way:
Do unions ever put fake signatures on cards? Unfortunately, yes.
When rumors began circulating that the International Association of Machinists (IAM) was forging signatures of the Delta Air Lines flight attendants they were trying to unionize, several flight attendants sent messages to the National Mediation Board.
Here are three examples:
The U.S. Department of Justice investigated and found that the IAM had, in fact, forged the signatures of several Delta employees on authorization cards.
The union admitted their guilt, and stopped their attempt to unionize Delta flight attendants - but only for a few weeks.
Unions using fake signatures is even more serious for another reason:
On September 1, 2015, the National Labor Relations Board approved the use of electronic signatures on union authorization cards.
Experts worry that forging electronic signatures is much easier to do and more difficult to detect than forging written signatures on paper cards.
Which union was the first to start collecting electronic signatures?
The International Association of Machinists - the union that had forged the cards at Delta. Below is the "A-Card Registration" ("A-card" stands for authorization card) they set up on the internet.
Unions will survive only if they can add new members, and new income, to their organizations.
Unfortunately, the sense of desperation many unions are feeling lead some union representatives and organizers to try and deceive workers into voting them in.
Be careful what you sign, and be sure you can make an informed choice regarding union representation.