About Us About Unions Elections Advocacy Press Releases Working People Standing Together ORGANIZING Union Organizing When workers have a union, they have a voice on the job. Working together, they negotiate good wages and working conditions so they can provide a better life for their families. Union members have higher wages, greater job stability, retirement security, and access to quality healthcare for their families. It is no wonder that 57 million Americans who are not union members say they want to be part of one. Sadly, workers are routinely denied that basic right. One out of four employers actually fire workers for trying to form a union. Many employers hire expensive lawyers and anti-union consultants to delay any union election, sometimes for years. In this climate, workers often feel powerless. While the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) establishes that workers have the right to join unions, it provides for a union election that is unlike any real democratic election—because one side has all the power. In a NLRA election, the employer can prohibit workers from talking about the union, harass workers who support the union, and intimidate workers with few, if any, repercussions. Numerous reports have documented the harassment, intimidation, and illegal firings faced by workers who try to organize a union. The statistics are staggering: 25% of employers faced with an organizing drive fire at least one worker for supporting the union. More than half of all companies tell workers they will close down if workers vote for the union. Majority sign-up, or “card check,” is a better way for workers to choose whether or not to join a union. Under majority sign-up, workers have the chance to talk to each other about the union without facing employer harassment. Instead of waiting months or even years for an election while the employer runs an anti-union campaign, workers who want a union simply sign cards asking the union to represent them in collective bargaining. Unions 101 How to Form a Union Where You Work Using the California Labor Laws Offensively Majority Sign-Up or “Card Check” The Employee Free Choice Act “Why I Joined a Union” Stories from the AFL-CIO Labor Education in California Unions: Working People Standing Together Labor unions are about a simple proposition: By joining together, working women and men gain strength in numbers so they can have a voice at work about what they care about. They negotiate a contract with their employer for things like a fair and safe workplace, better wages, a secure retirement and family-friendly policies such as paid sick leave and scheduling hours. They have a voice in how their jobs get done, creating a more stable, productive workforce that provides better services and products. Read more... Majority Sign-Up or “Card Check” Majority sign-up, or “card check,” is a better way for workers to choose whether or not to join a union. Under majority sign-up, workers have the chance to talk to each other about the union without facing the same kind of employer harassment. Instead of waiting months or even years for an election while the employer runs an anti-union campaign, workers who want a union simply sign cards asking the union to represent them in collective bargaining. This is a fair and democratic process that respects the will of the majority. Read more... How to Form A Union Where You Work If you do not have a union at your job, find out more about how to form one. Today, more people are taking the step to form unions on the job than at any time in recent history. You can be one of them! Click here for three steps that will get you started. Read more... SEARCH Search for: California Labor Federation Executive Officers Executive Council What We Do Our Staff/Contact Us Events Boycott, Do Not Hire, Buy Union In The News Press Releases California Labor News & Views Legislation Elections Workforce & Economic Development BWP 2022 conference Terminated or Laid off the Job Join an Apprenticeship About WED Issues & Campaigns Organizing Vote! Endorsements Contact Us Central Labor Councils What We Do Our Staff Executive Officers Executive Council Job Opportunities Resources Payments Constituency Groups Problems at Work? Know Your Rights Worksite Safety and Health Covered California Senior Advocacy / Activism Union Member Resources Build Back Better with Unions—Pass the PRO Act! Not in the US? Content developed and maintained by California Labor Federation staff, members of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America, Local 39521