Your Right to Form a Union
Not represented by a union, but want to be?
If a majority of workers wants to form a union, they can select a union in one of two ways: If at least 30% of workers sign cards or a petition saying they want a union, the NLRB will conduct an election. If a majority of those who vote choose the union, the NLRB will certify the union as your representative for collective bargaining. An election is not the only way a union can become your representative. Your employer may voluntarily recognize a union based on evidence - typically signed union-authorization cards - that a majority of employees want it to represent them. Once a union has been certified or recognized, the employer is required to bargain over your terms and conditions of employment with your union representative. Special rules apply in the construction industry.
What rules govern collective bargaining for a contract?
After employees choose a union as a bargaining representative, the employer and union are required to meet at reasonable times to bargain in good faith about wages, hours, vacation time, insurance, safety practices and other mandatory subjects.
Employer/Union Rights and Obligations
The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or from working together to improve terms and conditions of employment, or refraining from any such activity.
Examples of employer conduct that violates the law:
- Threatening employees with loss of jobs or benefits if they join or vote for a union or engage in protected concerted activity.
- Threatening to close the plant if employees select a union to represent them.
- Questioning employees about their union sympathies or activities in circumstances that tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act.
- Promising benefits to employees to discourage their union support.
- Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they engaged in union or protected concerted activity.
- Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they filed unfair labor practice charges or participated in an investigation conducted by NLRB.
If you are ready to become part of a union and are looking for better wages, benefits, working conditions and a majority of the workers at your company want to form a union. Then please complete the authorization card below to start the process. If at least 30% of the workers complete the authorization form saying they want a union, the NLRB will conduct an election.
I hereby authorize the EASTERN ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS to act as my Collective Bargaining Agent in dealing with my employer in regard to wages, hours and other conditions of employment. All previous authorizations made by me are revoked.
I authorize my Employer to deduct from my Gross Wages the amount set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) as Working Dues, including the portion of which to be exclusively used to fund the job recovery dues program. The dues are to be paid by my Employer to the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in the manner provided by the current CBA.
This dues deduction authorization shall be binding for a period of one year and not beyond the termination date of the current CBA, whichever occurs sooner. This authorization shall automatically renew itself for successive yearly or applicable contract periods thereafter unless I give notice to revoke such authorization to the Employer and the Union not more than twenty or less than ten days prior to any periodic renewal date of this authorization.