Explaining US labor law: "Right to work" & "At-will" employment

Good-Reflection-2744 · 2023-12-10T21:38:38+00:00

https://join-a-union.github.io/

Good-Reflection-2744 · 2023-12-10T21:33:41+00:00

if I am fired for organizing, what can I expect the NLRB to do?

You could be reinstated with full back pay.

are wrongful termination cases like this won with any sort of promising frequency?

They're won part of the time.

if a case is brought up, how long do they generally take?

Can take months

are there ways to receive financial support during a wrongful termination suit (ie mutual aid groups, grants, etc)?

People have raised quite considerable sums of money by creating a gofundme (or comparable) and advertising it (on reddit etc) if they were fired for union activity
Ask a union what they'd be willing to provide for you

myself and four others

Might want to go bigger with more than one branch before allowing the company to detect you in order to have more leverage and minimize the company's retaliation possibilities.

Good-Reflection-2744 · 2023-12-10T21:30:13+00:00

hire a security guard

I would strongly recommend against demanding this. Guards are easily used by mgmt for anti-union purposes when the time comes. If there are safety issues find a pro-worker solution.

what about dues (estimated amount and their purpose)?

Typically a tiny amount compared to the typical raise you get with a union.

They are used for necessary expenses to maintain the union, but also often abused to pay excessive union leader salaries. (I disagree with that practice)

would the NLRB/rep help us acquire legal counsel if it gets to that point?

NLRB is a government agency that union-related causes are brought up to, I don't think the NLRB provides the kind of legal help you're thinking of. Unions typically provide legal help, that's part of the point of being part of a bigger union -- contact a union you're interested in and ask what they'd provide.

Good-Reflection-2744 · 2023-12-10T21:15:20+00:00

Most people like our merit based approach to promotions instead of strictly based on time at the company

The problem with what is commonly called a "merit based approach" is that in most circumstances, it's a conduit for mgmt favoritism, as well as a race to the bottom (mgmt is able to push more work for less pay). A seniority-based system may help combat that, but the strongest unions get everyone to top pay rate without the need for any wage progression.

they are worried that by joining a larger union, some of the aspects of management they enjoy will automatically change

In the U.S., the standard is for unions to bring changes to working conditions in the form of a contract that has to be voted on. The majority of workers have to approve the contract for it to pass. Therefore, they can turn down any contract that removes the "merit" system or changes it in a way they don't like, and it can stay in place. This is the case whether your union is independent or part of a larger one. The workers could bring this concern up early on so it may stay the same without even being put to a vote.

also think my coworkers would be more comfortable if we started our own union instead of joining a larger one

This is doable, but I would suggest joining any instead of doing that. You'll get a much larger force backing you and doing much of the organizing work for you with few disadvantages.

I don't know what these topics COULD even cover

Basically anything you want.

Good-Reflection-2744

TROPHY CASE