Your benefits of being part of the Local Union 100 workforce

The United Association has made a substantial commitment to organize non-union piping industry workers in order to help them benefit from union representation.

Organizing is a long and proud tradition in the trade union movement. At the heart of any organizing effort is a desire to bring the protections to workers that only a labor union can provide. As such, UA organizers are strong, determined and above all, passionate about ensuring the rights of all workers are respected and protected.

Resources

The UA helps educate both members and non-members about their rights on the job. Learn more from the brochures here. As in many things, on-the-job knowledge is power.

For instance, did you know it is unlawful for your employer, supervisor or foreman to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees seeking to organize or join a union? Any of the acts listed below constitutes a violation of the National Labor Relations Act, as Amended.

If your employer does any of these things, make a note of it, including names of those involved, time, place, etc., and report such incidents to the union.

Your employer is not legally allowed to do any of the following:

Attend any union meeting, park across the street from the meeting or engage in any undercover activity which would indicate the employees are being kept under surveillance to determine who is and who is not participating in the union program.
Tell employees the company will fire or punish them if they engage in union activity
Lay off, discharge or discipline any employee for union activity
Grant employees wage increases, special concessions or benefits in order to keep the union out
Bar employee-union representatives from soliciting employees’ memberships on or off the company property during non-working hours
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.
Ask employees what they think about the union or a union representative once the employee refuses to discuss it
Ask employees how they intend to vote
Threaten employees with reprisal for participating in union activities. For example, threaten to move the plant or close the business, curtail operations or reduce employees’ benefits,
Promise benefits to employees if they reject the union
Give financial support or other assistance to a union
Announce that the company will not deal with the union
Threaten to close, in fact close, or move a plant in order to avoid dealing with a union
Ask employees whether or not they belong to a union, or have signed up for union representation
Ask an employee, during the hiring interview, about his affiliation with a labor organization or how he feels about unions
Make anti-union statements or act in a way that might show preference for a non-union employee
Make distinctions between union and non-union employees when assigning overtime work or desirable work
Purposely team up non-union employees and keep them apart from those supporting the union
Transfer workers on the basis of union affiliations or activities
Choose employees to be laid off in order to weaken the union’s strength or discourage membership in the union
Discriminate against union people when disciplining employees
By nature of work assignments, create conditions intending to get rid of an employee because of his union activity
Fail to grant a scheduled benefit or wage increase because of union activity
Deviate from company policy for the purpose of getting rid of a union supporter
Take action that adversely affects an employee’s job or pay rate because of union activity
Threaten workers or coerce them in an attempt to influence their vote
Threaten a union member through a third party
Promise employees a reward or a future benefit if they decide “no union”
Tell employees overtime work (and premium pay) will be discontinued if the plant is unionized
Say unionization will force the company to lay off employees
Say unionization will do away with vacations or other benefits and privileges presently in effect
Promise employees promotions, raises or other benefits if they get out of the union or refrain from joining the union
Start a petition or circular against the union or encourage or take part in its circulation if started by employees
Urge employees to try to induce others to oppose the union or keep out of it
Visit the homes of employees to urge them to reject the union.

Your protection under the law

According to the U.S. National Labor Relations Board Act, “SECTION 8. (a) It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer – 1. to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7: 3. by discrimination in regard to hire or tenureof employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization …”

What does this mean?

It means employees are supposed to have a FREE CHOICE in deciding whether or not they want to use their right to organize. Anything that an employer does to interfere with this free choice is against the law.
It means that employers who get “nosey” during an organizing campaign are breaking the law. An employer is not supposed to question employees, or even to find out, about how employees feel, who signed cards, which employees are pushing the union, who attended meetings, what went on at meetings, etc. It is none of their business.
It means that an employer is not supposed to make any promises of raises, promotions or other benefits in order to influence employees in the exercise of their rights.
It means that an employer cannot take away, or threaten to take away, any benefits which you already have because of your union activity.
It means that it is illegal for an employer to penalize an employee in any manner because of his union activity or belief. This includes such things as cutting out overtime, transferring to a less desirable job, suspension or discharge. (If an employer does any of these things, and it is proven that it was done because of union activity, he must reinstate the employee to his former position without loss of seniority and pay him for all lost wages, plus interest).

Also under the U.S. National Labor Relations Board Act, “SECTION 7. Employees shall have the right to self organize, 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 …”

What does this mean?

It means employees have the legal right to help organize, to join and to support a union of their own choosing. This includes such activities as signing a union card, getting others to sign cards, attending union meetings, wearing union buttons, passing out union literature and talking union to other employees.
It states employees have the legal right to join together and work as a team in order to help each other.
It says employees have the legal right to deal with their employer as a group, rather than individually.
It gives employees the legal right to take such group action as they feel necessary in order to gain their desired goals, so long as these actions violate no other laws.
It does not mean employees have the right to carry on union activity during working hours or to allow their union activity to interfere with their jobs. (For this purpose, break time and lunch time are not considered as working hours).

Do you have industry experience and are interested in joining Local 100?

Complete the below form and a representative will be in touch with you.

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