Employees coming together collectively using a democratic process to negotiate with management over their wages, benefits and working conditions. It is not an outside third party, especially within IFPTE -- the union is made up of the employees, who democratically elect representatives to oversee their union’s affairs and negotiations with their employer.

Democracy in the workplace. A voice in the workplace. Unless you have a collective bargaining relationship, your employer dictates your wages, benefits and working conditions, and your employer can change them unilaterally without notice. By joining with your colleagues and forming a union, you gain legal status to make a difference within your work environment and to bargain a contract that governs your working conditions.

A group of employees with a community of interest (similar occupations, geographic location, duties, payment structure, review/rating system, etc.) that have union representation for the purpose of collective bargaining.

An affiliate of the larger union organization that represents a particular bargaining unit of employees in their dealings with their employer. IFPTE Locals have autonomy over their own affairs, such as dues, officer elections, and bargaining, and also govern the larger IFPTE organization through their ability to elect the IFPTE Executive Council and to vote on major changes to our governing documents.

Some of our Locals are large and have multiple bargaining units with different employers, while others only have one bargaining unit under one employer. In the Local Directory under About IFPTE, you will find a list of IFPTE Local Unions along with a summary of each one.

Required by law, to (1) show that employees are interested in forming a union and (2) authorize the union to be their collective bargaining agent (in other words, states that you want to form or join a Local with IFPTE for purposes of collective bargaining representation). These cards are confidential documents. Your employer is not entitled to see these cards, nor will your employer know who signed or did not sign.

Also called a contract or a union contract, a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is an legally binding contract between the employees (union) and the employer, arrived at through negotiations between the parties, which lays out the rights and duties of each party. This is similar to an employment contract a CEO has with a company, but it applies to all employees within the bargaining unit. This is the main reason employees form unions -- so that their wages, benefits, and working conditions cannot be changed unilaterally by management.

A Union Contract is not the same as an employer manual or set of policies. An employer manual and policies are rules and regulations set entirely by management. They can be changed unilaterally at any time without the employees input and approval.

Depending on the employees’ interests and negotiations with their employer, a contract can include such provisions as a clearly defined and fair grievance process, improved benefits and wages, whistleblower protections, employee flexibilities, training opportunities, and improved safety and environmental standards.

The employer and the union choose their own negotiating teams who have the authority to negotiate the contract, subject to final approval. The employer's team is usually comprised of lawyers, local management, and upper management officials. The union team usually consists of employees elected by their fellow employees to a negotiation team, but they can also include expert or experienced negotiators and/or lawyers that are decided upon and paid for by the union. Generally, once a contract has been negotiated, the union membership votes on whether to approve the contract.

A work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees within the unit to work. It is a negotiating tool of last resort and used by employees in the private sector and in some of the public sectors, where allowed. Strikes are illegal in most of the public sector and in the federal sector. Over 98% of union contract negotiations are settled without a strike in the private sector, since the employer often does not want a strike any more than the employees do. In IFPTE, strikes can only be authorized by a majority of the bargaining unit through a vote of the employees involved.

Alternatives to strikes include mediation and arbitration. Mediation is a process in which two parties rely on a professional mediator to assist them in finding solutions to a dispute. In mediation, both parties still have to agree to the solution. Arbitration is when both parties agree to refer the dispute to a third party, the arbitrator, to make a decision. Both parties agree to be bound by the arbitrator’s decision (also called an “award”.) These alternative dispute resolution procedures are used when the parties are at an impasse, and are the alternative to strikes. Arbitration is also a tool widely used for enforcement of collective bargaining agreements in place of going to court for enforcement of a contract.

Dues are contributed by union members to the organization and are generally the only source of funds for a union. These funds are used to support the unions’ expenses such as legal advice during negotiations, officer/steward training, and arbitrations.

Each IFPTE Local sets its own dues rate and structure based on its size and needs, taking into account what is required by the IFPTE Constitution. Each IFPTE Local Union determines how its dues are used beyond representational activities. For example, a portion of dues can be used to establish an Emergency Relief Fund, in the event an employee is going through a crisis, or to set up a Scholarship Fund.

Unions engage in politics in order to advocate on particular issues or positions that benefit their members, just as corporations and special interest groups engage in politics. In other words, unions often take political positions on issues that will affect their membership or that will affect working people as a whole. Unlike corporations or many special interest groups, unions are democracies, which means that union leaders are accountable to their members.

IFPTE advocates on particular issues of interest to our members, but does not engage in ideological politics, and does not make contributions to political candidates using union dues. To learn more about the issues we are currently engaged in please visit our Issues page. IFPTE Locals determine for themselves whether they wish to engage in politics or to remain neutral.