WHAT ARE UNIONS?
Unions are democracy
Your vote counts here. Unions embody the true spirit of democracy, where people with common interests can come together and effect real, meaningful change where it counts. In a time when many Americans feel their voice is drowned out by the money and influence of special interests, every American still has the chance to exercise real democracy where it matters most: where we earn our livelihoods.
Many of the most immediate issues that impact our daily work and our quality of life are within the sphere of union activity. Important concerns like job security, wages, health insurance, and retirement are at the heart of achieving financial stability and improving one's quality of life, and union members get to have a say in these and much more.
“Why not have a contract — an insurance policy — that protects your employment?”
The process is known as collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is when a group of workers negotiate their terms of employment with an employer through a union. These terms often include things like wages, benefits, hours, overtime, leave, health and safety, grievance procedures, and any other concerns that either side may wish to address. This negotiation results in a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which serves as an enforceable labor contract between the union and the employer. Collective bargaining is a very effective way to solve or prevent workplace issues and promote peace and productivity.
A CBA is like an insurance policy for your job — not very different than the insurance policy you buy for your house, car, or life. Your job, after all, provides for those things, so why not have an insurance policy that protects your employment, as well?
WHY JOIN A UNION?
“What workers want most of all is mutual trust and respect, clear terms and conditions of employment, and a fair share of the prosperity they help create. In short, they want the chance to make the American Dream a reality.”
We all have a stake in the economy and in the future, and most working people share the same basic concerns: job security, a voice in the workplace regarding wages, hours, and benefits, safe working conditions, to be treated with dignity. Working people want straight talk about terms and conditions and the future so that they can make decisions about their own employment. Workers deserve a way to speak up for their common interests, negotiate the terms of their employment, and, when necessary, have a fair system for resolving problems.
In other words, American workers expect the principles and values of democracy and due process to carry into their workplaces, not be placed on hold between 9 am to 5 pm.
Workers must strike a balance between earning a fair wage and ensuring their employer remains profitable; between keeping their jobs and protecting their fringe benefits. But very often today's corporate executives earn many times more than their workers, top management receives bonuses for laying off workers, and companies announce record profits after cutting jobs or reducing employee wages. What workers want most of all is mutual trust and respect, clear terms and conditions of employment, and a fair share of the prosperity they help create. They want the chance to make the American Dream a reality.
Working people don’t always have the voice they need in their workplace or the tools necessary to resolve these issues alone. That’s why unions matter. That’s where we come in.
WHAT UNIONS OFFER
Higher Wages
USWU members enjoy wages and benefits that surpass industry standards. Salary surveys demonstrate that union workers earn substantially more than their non-union peers (up to 30% more). With the experience of the USWU’s representatives, you are sure to make impressive gains at the negotiating table.
Better Benefits
Union members consistently have better benefits than non-union workers. Union membership can provide you with additional benefits that will protect you and your family and enhance your quality of life.
Grievance Procedure
A union contract provides you with a forum in which you can dispute company practices that adversely affect your job. Should a problem arise, your union will help you to resolve it fairly.
Better Working Conditions
USWU members are guaranteed a say in their working conditions. The terms and conditions of your job will be clearly defined in your CBA.
Fairness on the Job
Are you always treated with the respect you deserve? Is the distribution of work always equal? Can you afford to be at the whim of your manager? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, a contract with the USWU can improve your position. Under the law as a non-union worker, you are an “at-will” employee, which means you may be fired any time the employer chooses, without justified cause. We can negotiate contracts that ensure fairness on the job.
Job Security
A union contract defends you against unfair layoffs or discharges. The USWU will be there to represent your interests in any situation in which your contract is being violated. With a union contract, your job is safe, and you are protected from unfair termination.
HOW EVERYONE BENEFITS
“When workers have job security, a fair wage, healthcare, a secure future, etc., they have an investment in the success of their employer because it’s their future as well.”
The workers and the company share one very important thing in common: the success of the company.
Without a reliable, competent, and productive workforce, the company cannot thrive. Without a thriving company, there are no jobs or wages for the workers.
Everyone wants their company to succeed. A good company brings jobs, goods or services, revenues, and pride to a community. But workers are more than just employees. Workers are also members of the communities in which the company is located. Workers, not company owners, are the real "job creators" of our economy, creating the demand for goods and services that allows the company to exist. Workers and their families and friends are the consumers of the very goods and services the company provides, spending their hard-earned dollars on the products that profit the company.
When workers have job security, a fair wage, healthcare, a secure future, etc., they have an investment in the success of their employer because it’s their future as well.
When employers and workers realize that what they have in common is most important, they can come together and negotiate an agreement that best benefits everyone.
HOW TO JOIN
For more information or to speak to a USWU representative, please contact our office at:
United Service Workers Union
145 Huguenot St, Suite 420
New Rochelle, NY 10801
718.658.4848
Fax: 914.214.9517
email: organizing@usw-iujat.org