Since October 3rd, anti-union leaflets have been appearing all over the food bank and are being printed up by the leadership and management team. Along with the leaflets, we are hearing stories of intimidation and propaganda. We’ve heard from some anonymous drivers the our all-white management team is trying to scare our Spanish-speaking drivers by telling them that it is “illegal to join a union.” Do not believe these intimidation tactics because unionizing is YOUR RIGHT!
What Are My Rights?
You have the legal right to help organize, to join, and to support a union of your own choosing. This includes but is not limited to such activities as:
·Filling out an authorization card
·Getting others to fill out cards
·Attending union meetings
·Wearing union buttons
·Passing out union literature
·Talking about the union to other employees.
It is Illegal
- For your employer to punish you for your union activity.
- Threaten to or actually fire, lay off, harass, transfer or reassign employees because they support the union.
- Favor employees who don’t support the union over those who do in promotions, job assignments, wages, hours, enforcement of rules, or any other working conditions.
- Shut down the work site or take away any benefits or privileges employees already enjoy in order to discourage union activity.
- Promise employees a pay increase, promotion, benefit or special favor if they oppose the union.
You can help protect your legal rights by
- Keeping written notes of any incidents in which company officials or supervisors threaten, harass or punish workers because of union activity.
- Immediately reporting any such incidents to your organizing committee and the union staff.
What to Expect from your Employer
1.LETTERS, LETTERS AND MORE LETTERS: The “Union Busters” will write lots of letters during the campaign. Only, they will be signed not by the “Union busters,” but by the company president, facility/company administrators and some well-liked managers and supervisors.
2. LOVE LETTERS: Some letters will say how much the management/administration really appreciates the work employees have done for the facility/company. Some might even admit past mistakes.
3. THE UGLY UNION LETTERS: Most of the letters will paint an ugly picture of the Union. They want you to think the Union has a lot to hide. They will never give the Union credit for anything it has achieved at other facilities.
4. SUPERVISOR PRESSURE: The “Union busters” will use supervisors as the front line troops against the Union — delivering letters, informal chats and even speeches prepared by the “Union busters.”
5. LOVE OFFERINGS: The “Union busters” will tell management to hand out larger than expected wage increases and/or improved benefits. They might even restore lost health insurance benefits, wages, differentials, etc. They might establish or revise employee participation committees. They want to show you that you don’t need a Union to get things done. The point is to convince you that the boss is really a good guy who can be trusted in the future.
6. A HELPING HAND: The “Union busters” will tell the facility to start correcting problems: Big things and nagging little things will now be fixed. Management will solicit and settle grievances.
7. LET’S BE PALS: Administrators/Supervisors will be everywhere, walking the floors day and night, setting up spur-of-the-moment meetings so that they can fix what’s on your mind. You might even be invited to lunch
8. ONE-ON-ONES: The “Union busters” will have supervisors call employees in for face-to-face discussions about the Union. The supervisors will have been told exactly what to say by the “Union busters.”
9. MANDATORY MEETINGS: Employees will be required – on paid time while your normal work is piling up – to attend meetings where the administrators/Managers will deliver a speech prepared by the “Union busters.” These meetings will not be intended to be a free and open debate.
10. DIVIDE AND CONQUER: The “Union busters” will try to play one group of employees against another – “disloyal” Union supporters against “loyal pro-company” Union opponents. One department against another, men versus women, etc.
11. “VOTE NO” COMMITTEE: A committee of concerned employees might be set up to “stand up for” the facility and “against the bullying” tactics of the Union. The committee members will want to save the facility/company from the Union and give management another chance.
12.Give us “another chance” to make things better
Don’t be fooled by these “Union Busting” tactics.
Having a Union at work is YOUR RIGHT!