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Unions give workers a voice on the job. This means you have a say in safety, job security, working conditions, product quality, pay and benefits. The collective bargaining agreement or contract provides the foundation of that voice. Unions also give working families a voice in our economy-an economy that yields far too much power to corporations. Unions are based on the belief that business and labor can work together to create more economic opportunities and a better future for our children-a belief that defines our county-the American Dream. Contact Local 688 now to learn more about being union.
How do unions help working families today?
Through unions, workers win better wages, benefits and a voice on the job-and good union jobs mean stronger communities. Union workers earn 28 percent more than nonunion workers and are more likely to receive health care and pension benefits than those without a union. In 2004, median weekly earnings for full-time union wage and salary workers were $781, compared with $612 for their nonunion counterparts. Unions lead the fight today for better lives for working people, such as through expanded family and medical leave, improved safety and health protections and fair-trade agreements that lift the standard of living for workers all over the world. Click here to learn how unions help workers earn more in nearly every occupation.
Can I be fired or disciplined for starting or supporting an effort to organize a union?
Section 8(a) of the National Labor Relations Act protects the right to form a union, but you must be willing to stand up for your beliefs. It is illegal for a company to fire or discipline an employee for union activity. When employers break the law, Teamsters Local 688 does everything in its power to bring them to justice.
What does signing a union authorization card mean? Is it confidential?
Signing a Teamsters Local 688 authorization card means you want union representation in your workplace. Your signature does not require you to pay dues, assessments or fees. It is simply a way to gauge support, ensure enough workers are committed to forming a union and order an election at your workplace. In a Local 688 organizing campaign, only the following individuals will know you signed an authorization card: union organizer(s), rank-and-file organizing committee members and National Labor Relations Board representative. Management has no legal right to know if you or any other co-workers signed cards. In fact, it is illegal for them to interrogate workers about union activity.
What is the organizing committee?
The organizing committee is the foundation and strength of a union organizing campaign. Organizing committee members are workers like you who are willing to put in the extra time to build a union: i.e., organizing meetings, distributing and developing literature and talking to co-workers. In most campaigns, at least 10 percent of the total work force belongs to the organizing committee. Your Teamster Local 688 organizer provides support, expertise and leadership, but the organizing committee implements and carries out the campaign. The Committee is the first step in building a union.
How long does it take to organize a union?
Most campaigns take three to six months, but Local 688 has led campaigns that have not fit within that timeframe. There is no "standard" campaign length because it depends upon workers' support for a union and management's approach to the campaign. The key is that forming a union means more than signing a card. It takes a real commitment to make a difference in the workplace.
What is the campaign like?
Not all campaigns are the same, but most are a challenge. Management often hires anti-union consultants who develop and implement systematic campaigns to destroy workers' attempts to organize. It often costs more for companies to hire these high-priced consultants than it does to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement. You may never see one of these consultants during a campaign, but they are the architect of the anti-union effort. Consultants train management to fight union campaigns with a variety of tactics, including leaflets, letters, videos, captive audience meetings, temporary workplace improvements, visits from upper management, etc. The key to an anti-union campaign is delay. The company usually has at least six weeks from the date workers file for an election until election day, which gives management time to change the hearts and minds of workers who want to form a union.
Why are most companies adamantly against employees forming unions?
It is an issue of control. Money and benefits generally have little to do with businesses' strong stance against unions. Without a union, management has all the control--ranging from hours, pay, benefits, safety, treatment, overtime, hours, etc. With a union, the playing field is level and management must answer employees' concerns. Unions gives working families a voice in our economy, an economy that would otherwise be dominated by on the world's largest corporations.
Who runs the union? Aren't union officers a bunch of outsiders?
You are the Union. In fact, Local 688 members elect local officers every three years and International officers every five years. Officers and staff come from the diverse industries that Local 688 represents: manufacturing, warehousing, delivery, route driving, office/clerical, etc. You can still work directly with management when you have a problem. The difference is that a union provides employees with a stronger, collective voice to address unresolved problems and an organized strategy to negotiated improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions.
I heard most unions are corrupt, especially the Teamsters.
Teamster leaders come from jobs just like yours. Most of these leaders are decent, hardworking individuals who are interested in helping and improving members' lives. Yes, there have been examples of dishonest officials who broke the law or ethical codes and those individuals have been barred from the union. Businesses and government organizations face the same challenges. Teamsters Local 688 has a long history in providing workers throughout Eastern Missouri honest, professional and progressive representation.
Co-workers said there is a good chance we will be forced to strike.
Management talks about strikes as a scare tactic to defeat your effort to form a union, but the truth is only you can vote to strike and 99 percent of Local 688 contracts are settled without a strike. Local 688 staff representatives negotiate nearly 200 contracts every three to five years without a work stoppage, but only strikes make the news. Also, the IBT is the second largest union in the world at 1.5 million members. It only makes statistical sense that we have more strikes than smaller unions.
My friend is in a union, yet he makes less and has less benefits than I. Why do I need one?
Every union, contract and company is different. Your contract depends upon many variables: company financial health, industry economic environment, union strength and member priorities. For example, members might choose to focus on health care improvements versus wage increases. The idea of a union is to achieve a contract that addresses your specific issues.
What is the grievance procedure everyone talks about? Can I still handle problems on my own?
A grievance procedure is the foundation of a union contract. If you have a problem at work, you can still deal directly with the supervisor. If you are not satisfied with the supervisor's response and believe a contract violation exists, a grievance procedure provides legal recourse to present your case. A grievance procedure is the key tool in holding management accountable to contract terms. A grievance procedure often has the following steps:
- Step 1: Discuss the problem with immediate supervisor.
- Step 2: Discuss the problem with steward and file a grievance that states the violation.
- Step 3: The grievant's case is presented to a two-person board where company and union representatives, who were not involved in the alleged infraction, attempt to come to a decision.
- Step 4: The union and the company agree to an impartial arbitrator to decide the case.
What is the "union security clause" in Local 688 contracts? I heard the only purpose of this clause is to build the union's treasury, not represent members.
Local 688 negotiates a union security clause in its agreements to protect members from free riders who get benefits of a union without joining or paying dues. Since Federal law requires unions to represent free riders, Local 688 negotiates a union security clause to ensure everyone pays their fair share. As a result, Local 688 has the unity to ensure members are represented to the fullest extent possible.
Is the company forced to negotiate a contract after we vote to form a union? Can management refuse to negotiate?
Federal law requires the company to negotiate in "good faith," but it is not required to agree to all union proposals. There is one thing a Union can guarantee: when workers form a union they have more bargaining power and a stronger voice than they do as individuals. Newly-formed unions do not bargain from scratch. Regardless of what the company says during the campaign, it only makes sense for both parties to bargain based on the current level of wages and benefits. In addition, union members have the ultimate protection...they vote to accept or not accept the contract offer. No one is going to support a contract that reduces wages and benefits.
Who decides what we get in the contract?
It's your contract.You elect a negotiating committee comprised of co-workers and have a meeting to develop proposals for the first contract. Proposals include wages, benefits, vacation, grievance procedure, working conditions, etc. In fact, we encourage organizing committees to begin thinking about what they would like to see in their first contract during the campaign. Your elected negotiating committee and business representative begin negotiating with the company after the election. Members can vote to accept or reject the company's final offer.
What about union dues and assessments? Can you be fined for missing meetings? How much is the initiation fee?
Union dues are two and one half times your hourly rate, with a minimum of $20 per month. If you make $12 per hour, your dues would be $30 per month. No one pays dues until you have a negotiated contract that has been approved by a majority of workers. Local 688 members also pay a $1 per month assessment to a strike fund for Local 688 members. Local 688 members vote on dues and assessments and no one can be fined for missing membership meetings. The one-time initiation fee during an organizing campaign is only five dollars and workers hired after the contract is ratified will pay an inititation fee based on their hourly rate. Again, no one pays a dime until you have a negotiated contract that has been approved by a majority of workers.
Who does Local 688 represent? Does my job "fit" in the Teamsters Union?
Teamsters represent workers in nearly every industry, occupation and classification. Based in St. Louis and one of the largest unions in the IBT, Local 688 has represented workers throughout Eastern Missouri for the last 60 years. Nearly 9,000 Local 688 members work in manufacturing, route delivery, warehousing, food service, entertainment and office/clerical for companies that include United Parcel Service, Central States Coca-Cola, Schnucks, Pepsi-America and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Who should I contact to learn more about organizing?
Call Teamsters Local 688 Organizer Steve Johnson at 314.513.5812 and ask for Local 688's Organizing Department to learn more about organizing. Your questions will be kept confidential. Steve's full-time job is devoted to helping working people just like you make a difference in their workplace.
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