How union campaigns work

Wondering how the union organizing process works? Here are the (somewhat dry) facts.

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The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) outlines the steps that employees must follow in order to form or join a union. They are:

  1. Organizing: Employees who wish to join a union organize themselves and begin the process of seeking representation. This might involve holding meetings with professional union organizers, circulating flyers, and collecting authorization signatures.

  2. Filing a petition: Once a sufficient number of employees has expressed an interest in a union, they can file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a election. The NLRB will review the petition to ensure that it meets the requirements of the NLRA.

  3. Determining eligibility: The NLRB will then determine who is eligible to vote in the election. This involves defining the appropriate bargaining unit - the group of employees who would become represented by the union.

  4. Campaigning: Once the election has been scheduled, both the union and the employer campaign in order to persuade employees to vote in favor of their position. The NLRA imposes certain restrictions on the conduct of these campaigns.

  5. Holding the election: The NLRB conducts a secret ballot election, typically at the workplace, to determine whether or not the employees will be represented by the union.

  6. Certifying: If a majority of the employees who voted in the election vote in favor of union representation, the NLRB will certify the union as the employees' bargaining representative.

  7. Bargaining: The union and the employer will then begin the process of bargaining over the terms and conditions of employment for the bargaining unit.

It's worth noting that the NLRA also includes provisions for employees to engage in other forms of collective action, such as strikes and picketing, as well as protections against employer retaliation for engaging in such activities.

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The experience, viewpoints, and guidance from professionals outside of your organization are invaluable to winning your campaign. You don’t want to address union organizing by yourself.

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Contact us at any time. There are no obligations, of course, until you say "go."