“how to keep your business union free” · “my business is too small for a union!” “my...
TRANSCRIPT
Edgardo Villanueva President
EMSI Consulting Inc.
30 years of Labor Relations Experience
312/ 623-7890
7%
10%
24%
35%
25%
20%
13%
17%
11.30%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1930 1940 1950 1955 1960 1980 1990 2000 2013
Union Membership Rate of Private Sector American Workers
Public Sector
UNION FREE Unionized
UNION FREE
Unionized
11.5%
88.5%
Private Sector
UNION FREE Unionized
6.5%
UNION FREE 93.5%
Unionized
“My business is too small for a union!”
“My employees are happy. They would NEVER turn to a union.”
“I pay them well!”
“If a union ever came in here, I would close the business.”
“Unions are in the past.”
“I treat my employees well, they would never want a union.”
“I never ask my employees to do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Etc., Etc., Etc……….
• Groups With Large Work Forces
• Heavy Industry- Automotive, Steel, Mining, Glass, Lumber Etc.,
• Manufacturing- Consumer Products, Food and Drug, etc.
• Hospitals
• Trucking and Transportation
• Public Sector and Government Workers- Teachers, Police & Firefighters
•Micro units (Specialty Health Care case)
•Service Workers, Fast Food, Hospitality, Grocery Stores, Small Business, Home Healthcare Workers
•AND EVEN…….. White Collar
YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES NEED TO
BE INFORMED OF YOUR RIGHTS AND
HOW UNIONS WORK!!
Sect. 7 – “Employees have a right to have a union and they have a right to refrain from having a union”
The traditional process for union organizing was (and still generally is) the following:
Ask Yourself……
What are the issues that your employees currently have?
Do you conduct regular communication meetings with your employees?
How Do you respond?
Have you reviewed your current policies and practices to check for accuracy and consistency?
*Tip: Prepare and Conduct an Employee Opinion Survey!
• The union needs a " Showing of Interest" by ONLY securing signatures
from 30% of the potential voting group
No Majority Needed at this point
Question : How many cards would a union need at your company?
This is often the first time a company is aware of union
organizing
DON’T PANIC DON’T OVERREACT
CALL FOR HELP!
Call NFIB, EMSI and/or a competent
LABOR Attorney
Fight for your rights as to… • Who will vote? • Where and When election will take place ?
VOTE NO
The Don’ts • Solicit Grievances • Retaliate • Make changes • Pre-suppose a bargaining
position ( i.e. simply that the company would not bargain in good faith or predict the outcome of negotiations)
The Do’s
YOU DON’T NEED A 3RD PARTY
