Organize

The union difference is more money in your pockets to buy a home, start a family, pay down student loan debt and save for retirement.

Better Pay and Benefits

  • Union members earn better wages and benefits than workers who aren’t union members. On average, union workers’ wages are 11.2% higher than their nonunion counterparts.
  • Ninety-six percent of union workers have employer-provided health insurance, but only 69% of nonunion workers do.
  • Unions help bring more working people into the middle class. In fact, in states where people don’t have union rights, workers’ incomes are lower.

The Union Difference

Median weekly earnings of full-time workers by union affiliation, 2020

Secure Retirement

Working people in a union are more likely to participate in an employer-provided guaranteed pension plan than working people without a union (54% compared to 8%).
 
Union Workers Are More Likely to Have Health and Pension Benefits
 
Percent of civilian workers with access to selected benefit programs, 2020.
 

Productivity

Unions help employers create a more stable, productive workforce—where workers have a say in improving their jobs. Unions also provide a voice on the job, which is something that money can't buy. 
 
The Union Difference
Workers in a union have:
  • higher wages (11.2% more than what nonunion workers make)
  • employer-provided health insurance (96% compared to 69%)
  • access to paid sick days (93% compared to 75%);
  • retirement benefits through private employers (82% to 48%); and
  • guaranteed pensions through private employers (54% to 8%).
 
UNIONS IMPROVE PAY AND WORKING CONDITIONS FOR ALL WORKERS ESPECIALLY WORKERS OF COLOR
 
The union advantage is even greater for people of color, women, immigrants, and others who have confronted workplace discrimination. A union contract is a potent weapon against unequal pay and structural racism because it establishes fair and transparent systems for hiring and firing, wages and more.
 
Black, Latino and women workers are paid 26%, 39.2% and 23.8% more, respectively, when they belong to a union. Union contracts pay women and men the same for doing the same job. You cannot be fired for your sexual orientation or gender identity under a union contract.

When you and your co-workers decide you want to organize your union at work, labor law protects your right to do so, and your employer is not allowed to do the following 35 things:

  1. Attend any union meeting, park across the street from the hall or engage in any undercover activity which would indicate that the employees are being kept under surveillance to determine who is and who is not participating in the union  program.
  2. Tell employees that the company will fire or punish them if they engage in union activity.
  3. Lay off, discharge, discipline any employee for union activity.
  4. Grant employees wage increases, special concessions or benefits in order to keep the union out.
  5. Bar employee-union representatives from soliciting employees’ memberships on or off the company property during non-waking hours.
  6. Ask employees about union matters, meetings, etc. (Some employees may, of their own accord, walk up and tell of such matters. It is not an unfair labor practice to listen, but to ask questions to obtain additional information is illegal).
  7. Ask employees what they think about the union or a union representative once the employee refuses to discuss it.
  8. Ask employees how they intend to vote.
  9. Threaten employees with reprisal for participating in union activities. For example, threaten to close the business, curtail operations or reduce employees’ benefits.
  10. Promise benefits to employees if they reject the union.
  11. Give financial support or other assistance to a union.
  12. Announce that the company will not deal with the union.
  13. Threaten to close, in fact close, or move plant in order to avoid dealing with a union.
  14. Ask employees whether or not they belong to a union, or have signed up for union representation.
  15. Ask an employee, during the hiring interview, about his affiliation with a union or how he feels about unions.
  16. Make anti-union statements or act in a way that might show preference for a non-union man.
  17. Make distinctions between union and non-union employees when signing overtime work or desirable work.
  18. Purposely team up non-union men and keep them apart from those supporting the union.
  19. Transfer workers on the basis of union affiliations or activities.
  20. Choose employees to be laid off in order to weaken the union’s strength or discourage membership in the union.
  21. Discriminate against union people when disciplining employees.
  22. By nature of work assignments, create conditions intended to get rid of an employee because of his union activity.
  23. Fail to grant a scheduled benefit or wage increase because of union activity.
  24. Deviate from company policy for the purpose of getting rid of a union supporter.
  25. Take action that adversely affects an employee’s job or pay rate because of union activity.
  26. Threaten workers or coerce them in an attempt to influence their vote.
  27. Threaten a union member through a third party.
  28. Promise employees a reward or future benefit if they decide “no union”.
  29. Tell employees overtime work (and premium pay) will be discontinued if the plant is unionized.
  30. Say unionization will force the company to lay off employees
  31. Say unionization will do away with vacations or other benefits and privileges presently in effect.
  32. Promise employees promotions, raises or other benefits if they get out of the union or refrain from joining the union.
  33. Start a petition or circular against the union or encourage or take part in its circulation if started by employees.
  34. Urge employees to try to induce others to oppose the union or keep out of it.
  35. Visit the homes of employees to urge them to reject the union.
If you are interested in organizing your workplace please fill out the form below: - See more at: http://www.ibew94.org/content/organize#sthash.7EYafTlt.dpuf

If you are interested in organizing your workplace please fill out the form below:

If you are interested in organizing your workplace please fill out the form below: - See more at: http://www.ibew94.org/content/organize#sthash.7EYafTlt.dpuf
If you are interested in organizing your workplace please fill out the form below: - See more at: http://www.ibew94.org/content/organize#sthash.7EYafTlt.dpuf