Your Right to Organize
You have a right to join a union and organize your workplace. No matter what your employer does to stop you, you can do it.
What You Can Do
Under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), you have the legal right to:
- Attend meetings to discuss joining a union.
- Read, distribute and discuss union literature (as long as you do this in non-work areas during non-work times, such as breaks or lunch hours).
- Wear union buttons, t-shirts, stickers, hats or other items on the job.
- Sign a card asking your employer to recognize and bargain with the union.
- Sign petitions or file grievances related to wages, hours, working conditions and other job issues.
- Ask other employees to support the union, to sign union cards or petitions, or to file grievances.
You have a right to join a union. But odds are you'll have to fight for this right. Most employers try to talk workers out of organizing. Why? Because employers know that with a union, workers gain the power to make their voices heard. And employers must listen.
That's exactly what having a union is all about: having dignity and respect on the job, and having the power to stand up for ourselves, our families and our future. Possessing a strong, collective voice helps gain fair and safe working conditions, wages and benefits while ensuring a better future for families.
The only way to gain real, positive changes in the workplace is to get it in writing—in a legally binding Carpenters union contract. It makes sense. When we stand alone, we are powerless. Employers hold all the cards and they call all the shots. By standing together, workers gain a seat at the table and the ability to demand a fair deal.
The Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters represents 47,000 men and women and continues to grow. We are affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, which boasts a membership of more than 500,000 carpenters. We know that talk is cheap and false company "promises" can't protect your families. We understand that the only way working people can truly protect their jobs and their families is by standing together and negotiating a legally binding contract.
Have you had enough of broken promises? Tired of lousy pay? Strained through lousy working conditions? Do you want a little respect on the job and security for your family? Then it is time to organize. Contact the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters' Organizing Department for more information.
How Organizing Works
You have a federally protected right and employers will challenge you. But the rewards outweigh the struggle. This is how a union organizing campaign works.
Your Right to Organize
Interested in organizing in your workplace? A union is simply a majority of employees who join together to better their work lives. Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) you have the legal right to form a union in your workplace. The NLRA says:
Section 7: "Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representation of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining . . . ."
Section 8(a): "It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer . . . to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 7. . . ."
Getting Started
To get a union started, the first thing you need to do is talk to your coworkers. Do they share the same concerns you have? Or, do they have other issues? Is there a common theme to these concerns such as lack of respect and dignity; lack of a voice in the workplace; unfair treatment; and/or wages and benefits lower than other people working in the same industry?
Create a Plan
Based on our experience we know that it's best when workers organize themselves if they are to create a viable organization in their workplace. Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters organizers and staff can help. But it's the workers who must join together and build their organization. After talking with your coworkers to find out their issues, you can call the Carpenters' Organizing Department to talk with a union organizer. He or she will set up a meeting with you and some of your coworkers. Together, you will create a plan for an organizing campaign in your workplace.
A Typical Campaign
The campaign will consist of talking with coworkers about the union and asking them to sign authorization cards. When there is a strong majority of support (70 percent of employees have signed the authorization cards), the union will ask the employer for recognition and or file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Usually, the NLRB will then meet with the union and the employer to establish the criteria for employees who will be eligible to vote in the union election. The NLRB sets a date for a secret ballot election.
Bargaining a Contract
After the union's election victory is officially certified by the NLRB, your employer is legally required to negotiate in "good faith" with the union on a written contract covering wages, hours, benefits and other working conditions.
Contact Us
If you're interested in organizing your workplace, call us at 312-787-3076 or send us an E-mail. An organizer will contact you. He or she can set up a meeting with you and some of your coworkers to discuss the possibility of a union in your workplace.
