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Your legal right
to organize and join a union

It is your right to support, form and/or advocate a union at your
workplace. Your rights to organize

Interested in joining a Union? Call us toll free: 1-800-332-9699 ext. 14

are set forth in Section 7 of
the National Labor Relations Act: "Employees shall have 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 . . ."

This means that you have the legal right to help organize, to join,
and to support a Union of your own choosing. This includes but is
not limited to such activities as:

• filling out an Authorization
Card

• getting others to fill out cards

• attending Union meetings

• wearing Union buttons

• passing out Union literature

• talking about the Union to other employees.

Step 1: Initial
Process

Step 2: Request
Recognition

Once a majority status
has been reached, your Union will request voluntary recognition.
If your employer agrees, a mutually selected impartial person will
verify the cards against the payroll listing. Most employers WILL
NOT voluntarily recognize your Union. If not, we will then petition
the NLRB for a secret ballot election.

Step 3: NLRB
Petition

Interested in joining a Union? Call us toll free: 1-800-332-9699 ext. 14

Once a petition has been filed, the NLRB will schedule
a "unit hearing" to determine the eligible voters. At
this time your employer will begin the anti-union campaign in an
effort to convince you that you don't need a Union. Look for raises
and other promises of benefit increases. Look for leaflets at work
and letters sent to your home; anything in an effort to convince
you to vote against your Union.

Step 4: Hold
Election

Once the NLRB has determined
the proper voting unit, they will schedule a SECRET BALLOT ELECTION.
Your employer is not allowed in the polling area during the election.
The election is actually conducted by an agent of the NLRB.

Step 5: Contract
Negotiations

When you have won your
election or secured voluntary recognition, the Union will conduct
a contract proposal meeting(s) to assist you in putting together
your contract proposals. At this time, you will also elect from
among your coworkers an employee negotiating committee to assist
and attend the actual contract negotiations along with the Union
Representatives.

When the committee feels that they have reached a final contract
offer, a ratification meeting will be held. At this meeting we will
explain the entire contract, discuss it and then vote to accept
or reject the contract. Only if a majority of the employees vote
to accept the contract does it go into effect. Only then will you
become a Union Member.

Reports show that Union workers generally make 35% more in wages and benefits than non-union workers.

MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FULL-TIME
WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS, 1999

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Earnings, January 2000.
Prepared by the AFL-CIO

Better Benefits

Many Local 1459 contracts have affordable health insurance. The employer pays all or most of the expense.

Pension Plans

Local 1459 can negotiate a pension plan to make your retirement easier.

UNION WORKERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE
HEALTH AND PENSION BENEFITS, 1997
Note: Defined-benefit pensions are a subset of all pensions. Disability refers to short-term disability benefits.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits in Medium and Large Private Establishments, 1997, Bulletin 2517, September 1999.
Prepared by the AFL-CIO.

Job Security

All Local 1459 contracts contain language that prevents employers from unjustly and arbitrarily terminating, suspending and/or reprimanding you without having just cause for their action.

UNION WORKERS AND JOB STABILITY
Percentage of Workers with the Same Employer
for 10 Years or More, 1998

Source: AFL-CIO analysis of the Current Population Survey, Supplement on Displaced Workers, Job Tenure and Occupational Mobility, February 1998.
Prepared by the AFL-CIO.

Due Process

All Local 1459 contracts contain a formal grievance and arbitration system to help provide you with due process at the shop floor level. All violations of your contract are settled through this procedure. So if you have any problems with management that you feel violates your Union contract, this procedure will help solve them.