Q. How do you Form a Union?
A. Basically, you sign a union authorization card. The National Labor Relations Act requires that at least 30% of the employees in a potential "bargaining unit" show that they are interested in having a union. (It is best to have 60% before you file). Once 60% of the employees sign such a card, the cards are given to a government agency (The National Labor Relations Board - NLRB) which then schedules and oversees a secret ballot election for the employees to vote on a union. If a majority votes "Yes" then a union is formed, and you begin bargaining over wages, benefits and working conditions.

Q. What does signing a Union Authorization Card mean?
A. Employees sign authorization cards to (1) show that they are interested in a union and (2) authorize IFPTE to act as their collective bargaining agent.

Q. Is my Authorization Card confidential?
A. Absolutely! IFPTE guarantees that neither your employer nor supervisor will see your card. Under federal labor law, only IFPTE representatives and agents of the NLRB are entitled to see your card. Your card must – and will – be kept confidential at all times.

Q. What should I do if I'm hassled for Union Activity?
A. Be confident about your rights. Politely inform your boss that you know your rights, and that what you're doing is legally protected. If the supervisor doesn't back down, go along with what he or she demands, and contact IFPTE as soon as possible. Keep careful records of exactly what happens: when and where it takes place, what the supervisor says or does, and what your response is. Federal Law protects your rights. But even though the law gives us some protection, never forget: Our best defense is UNITY. When we're strong and united, we can protect ourselves.

Q. What is a Union Contract?
A. A union/management contract is an exchange of mutual agreements, arrived at after bargaining, which impose rights and duties on each party. Employer policy is not a contract. The rules and regulations are set entirely by management. Employees don’t have a voice in setting employer policy. Management sets the rules and enforces them, and can ignore or change them at any time. Your only choice is to take it or leave.

Q. What difference does a Contract make?
A. The National Labor Relations Act requires an employer to bargain in good faith with the union once a majority of employees vote for it in a secret-ballot election. The employer must come to the bargaining table with an open mind and a sincere desire to discuss the issues. Both parties must try to reach a settlement through negotiations, and when agreement is reached, they must sign a written contract.

Here’s what this means to you:

Q. What goes into the Union Contract?
A. Your ideas on wages, benefits and rights on the job will be used to develop the proposals to be negotiated with management. Your union negotiating committee will try to bargain all the improvements you propose.

Q. When and how are Contract Proposals developed?
A. As soon as IFPTE wins the election and is certified or recognized as the bargaining agent by the NLRB, we will ask for immediate negotiations with management. Before contract talks begin, committees are formed to discuss key issues, member meetings are held and the union surveys its new members for those things you'd like to see in a contract.

Q. Who negotiates the contract?
A. The employer and the union put teams together. The employer's team is usually comprised of lawyers, local management and upper management officials. The union team consists of employees elected by their fellow employees to a negotiation team, union negotiators, and lawyers. The committee you elect, assisted by IFPTE officers and staff, will conduct negotiations and provide you with regular reports. The contract is not valid until a majority of eligible members’ vote by secret ballot to accept it.

Q. What about a Strike?
A. A strike is an action of last resort and seldom occurs. In fact, over 98% of union contracts are settled without a strike. In IFPTE, strikes can only be authorized by a majority, secret ballot vote of the employees involved. And it’s only smart to vote for a strike if you know you can win. The employer doesn’t want a strike any more than the workers do, so everyone has an incentive to reach a compromise during bargaining.

Unions have developed a lot of other tactics that can put pressure on management to reach a fair agreement. For example, unions use boycotts or corporate campaigns or community support, rather than necessarily having to resort to striking.

Q. What are Union Dues? What are they used for?
A. Union dues are what you pay to help support the unions’ costs, which include, union support staff, field staff, legal costs, negotiation costs, arbitrator’s fees, etc. You pay no initiation fees to IFPTE, and you pay no dues until you and your coworkers have approved a contract by secret ballot.

Q. If IFPTE wins, can I lose any of my current benefits?
A. No. The National Labor Relations Act requires management to maintain the "status quo" until a union contract is in place.

Q. The employer says the Union can’t guarantee us anything, can you?
A. The union can guarantee this: that when workers stick together as a union they have more bargaining power and more of a voice than they do as individuals.
When the union wins, you will negotiate a contract with the employer. We can make no promises on what the contract will contain – that is for you to decide when you vote on your contract. We can guarantee that the contract will be legally binding, and the union will make sure the contract is enforced.

Q. When is the Election?
A. The National Labor Relations Board (the federal agency that will hold the election) must see that there is a significant show of interest before they will hold a union election. To show that interest, you sign an authorization card. However, even a "show of interest" isn’t enough. If a solid majority is not willing to sign up as supporters, then we know we’ll lose the election. What’s the point in holding an election that we’re guaranteed to lose? Instead, we wait until we have a solid majority and know we can win.

Once a majority supports the union, we are ready to submit the cards to the NLRB. After the cards are submitted, the NLRB will contact the employer to schedule a hearing to determine the actual bargaining unit. At the hearing, the employer will probably try to pack the bargaining unit with employees that are likely to vote against the union and try to challenge employees that are likely to vote pro union. The union will be ready to counter this action by the employer. Once the bargaining unit is made final, the NLRB will schedule the date of the election.