Americans Are Starting to Love Unions Again

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/09/unions-us-labor-movement-americans-gallup-poll-bernie-sanders

BY MEAGAN DAY

https://aflcio.org/formaunion/4-steps-form-union

4 Steps to Form a Union

When you and your co-workers come together to form a union, you get the right to negotiate with your employer over wages, benefits and working conditions. 

No matter what the industry you are in, or the labor law that covers it, the process for forming a union is similar.

1. Get together with your co-workers who may share a common interest in organizing a union.
2. Talk to a union organizer in order to strategize and to learn the next steps.
3. Talk to your co-workers to build support for the union.
4. Show that support through an election or a card-check once you have a strong majority.

Once your union is official, you’ll choose your leaders and negotiate a contract. The process is democratic, and the more inclusive you can be, the stronger your union will be.

Your Rights to Unionize

Employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act are afforded certain rights to join together to improve their wages and working conditions, with or without a union. Here is some information on your rights, provided by the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees this process for most workers.

Union Activity

Employees have the right to attempt to form a union where none currently exists.

Examples of employee rights include:

• Forming, or attempting to form, a union in your workplace;
• Joining a union whether the union is recognized by your employer or not;
• Assisting a union in organizing your fellow employees;
• Refusing to do any or all of these things; and
• Having the right to be fairly represented by a union.

Employees who are not represented by a union also have rights under the NLRA. The National Labor Relations Board protects the rights of employees to engage in “concerted activity,” which is when two or more employees take action for their mutual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment. A single employee also may engage in protected concerted activity if he or she is acting on the authority of other employees, bringing group complaints to the employer’s attention, trying to induce group action or seeking to prepare for group action.

A few examples of protected concerted activities are:

• Two or more employees addressing their employer about improving their pay.
• Two or more employees discussing work-related issues beyond pay, such as safety concerns, with each other.
• An employee speaking to an employer on behalf of one or more co-workers about improving workplace conditions.

Learn more about your rights to engage in union activity.

XPO Shorts Workers's 401(K) Contributions

https://www.facebook.com/xpowearexpo

Choose Between Life or Job

XPO makes you choose between having a job or your health. They’re making employees choose between getting cancer treatments and having surgeries or save their job by continuing to work until they die from their illness. What more do you need to support unionization? The guys at ABF, YRC, and UPS don’t have to make that choice. 

The Truth about Management’s Lies

https://www.local1222.org Most companies will use "union busting" propaganda to misinform and mislead you into believing you don't need a union to represent you in the workplace. Some companies will even hire highly paid "union busting" consultants (paid approximately $1,000 - $1,500 a day, plus expenses) to convince you that you don't need a union. The truth is—most companies don't want to lose control—and they don't want you to have a voice in determining your working conditions, including wages, benefits, vacation seniority and overtime. The following is a list of lies you can expect to hear from management and their "union-busting" consultants when you decide to form a union: Management Lie: We'll straighten out our mistakes. The Truth: Management won't right past wrongs on their own. Change will only come when you empower yourself and form a union that will negotiate a contract that will hold management accountable. Management Lie: We will have to close down. The Truth: No company has ever shut down because its employees formed a union. The majority of companies that fail are non-union and they shut their doors because of mismanagement. Unions want companies to prosper because it means higher salaries and better benefits for their members. Management Lie: Unions are run by big union bosses. The Truth: UPSEU Local 1222 is run by its members. With the guidance of seasoned union representatives, your union will be responsible for electing your own Unit Stewards and negotiating and approving your own contracts. Management Lie: Unions can't promise you a contract. The Truth: Under the law, management is required to negotiate a contract with the union. UPSEU Local 1222's knowledgeable representatives will assist your negotiating team in achieving the best contract possible. When this is accomplished, management's verbal promises and evasive techniques will be a thing of the past. Management Lie: The union will force you to go on strike. The Truth: UPSEU Local 1222 never forces its members to go on strike. The decision to strike is made by a majority vote by the unit’s membership. Going on strike is the most drastic weapon workers have, and it is only used as a last resort after careful preparation and discussion. Over 99 percent of UPSEU Local 122 contracts are settled without going on strike. There are many effective alternative ways to negotiate a good contract. Management Lie: All the union wants is your dues money. The Truth: All UPSEU Local 1222 wants is to promote fairness, respect and dignity in your workplace. Union dues are an investment in your professional career. Your dues provide your unit with knowledgeable representatives and skilled labor attorneys. Your dues also qualify you to receive numerous member-only benefits that include home mortgages, scholarships, life insurance and more. Management Lie: We're one big happy family. The Truth: Unfortunately, management's "family" doesn't include rank and file employees. When workers threaten to form a union, management—for the first time—suddenly adopts workers as "family." However, without a contract, real change in your workplace, including improved working conditions and being treated with dignity and respect, will never happen. Management Lie: We run a very efficient business. The Truth: The only thing management does efficiently is mistreat its employees. Many companies spend thousands of dollars retaining professional "union busters" to threaten employees and discredit the union —rather than deal with their employees in a respectful way. These "union busters" will use every trick available to stop unions from organizing employees, so beware. Management Lie: We treat our employees with dignity. The Truth: There is no dignity in the workplace until a collective bargaining agreement is in place. Without a union contract, workers are "at will" employees and can be terminated at the boss' whim without "just case." With a union, employees cannot be fired without just cause. They have job protection and are treated with respect. Management Lie: Signing a card means you've joined. The Truth: Signing a "showing of interest" card does not obligate an employee to join the union. Authorization cards are circulated among workers to demonstrate to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that there is enough interest in the workplace to hold an election for union representation. Authorization cards are kept confidential by the NLRB. They are not shared with the employer. Management Lie: We can't afford to pay you more. The Truth: In most companies, you'll find that top executives are well taken care of with huge salaries, annual bonuses and stock options, while workers struggle to make ends meet. The best way to get management to open up the cash drawer is through collective bargaining and a union contract. Salary increases can be negotiated to put an end to collective begging and ensure that employees get a fair share. Management Lie: Unions can't guarantee improved wages and benefits. The Truth: While we can't promise improved wages and benefits, we can promise you a voice in your workplace and an opportunity to bargain collectively over all issues concerning your employment. We can also tell you that every contract we've ever negotiated on behalf of our members has resulted in improved wages and benefits.

FedEx Freight Drivers in Stockton Say "Yes!" to the Teamsters, Again.

http://www.changefedextowin.org

In a shocking turn of events, FedEx Freight drivers in Stockton, Ca voted 
overwhelmingly to continue their union membership on April 26, 2019.

The decertification vote followed a substantial anti-union effort by the 
company which included showings of anti-union videos, group anti-union 
meetings, one-on-one anti-union ride alongs, as well as a barrage of new 
hires in an attempt to stack the vote in their favor. The company has also
 delayed yearly raises for the Stockton drivers citing ongoing 
negotiations with the union even though non-union service centers 
received their annual raises on time.

Despite the company's vigorous attempts to sway the vote, the drivers 
voted 31-16 in favor of remaining in one of the nation's strongest unions,
 the Teamsters. The landslide victory sends a clear
 message to the company,your belittling voice of intimidation will never be
 as loud or as strong as the voices of organized and empowered employees. 

The Fedex Stockton drivers and the Teamsters look forward to ongoing 
negotiations with the company.

Victory Upheld! Time for More Barns to Join ULX

https://www.facebook.com/XPOexposed