Organize

Need a Union?

The South Central Federation of Labor lends all possible assistance to the organizing activities of local unions and their parent national or international unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO. If you’re interested in organizing a union, click here and let us know.

In most cases this assistance involves the use of Street Heat for rallies and pickets designed to bring the public’s attention to a given organizing effort, but it also sometimes involves assisting in house visits, campaign planning, and other aspects of a typical union organizing drive.

As part of the AFL-CIO’s Union Cities plan, SCFL’s Organizing Committee has attempted to increase the level of union organizing in our area. We have analyzed the area’s businesses, sponsored media training, recruited and trained volunteer organizers, and handbilled unorganized companies.

The best way to organize, of course, is to work with the affected workers themselves. If you have family, friends, or neighbors who work in nonunion operations and who are sympathetic to unions or who may not know much about unions but understand that the situation where they work needs improvement, ask them if they would like to chat with representatives from our Organizing Committee about the possibility of organizing their place of employment. If the answer is yes, please give SCFL a call (256-5111) with their names and phone numbers and our Organizing Committee will take it from there.

Thanks for your help.

Why do I need a union?

Over the years, unions have helped make this country strong and are vital to a prosperous economy in which everyone can enjoy a decent standard of living.

Together in a union, you and your co-workers can have a voice in the workplace decisions that affect your lives. Together we can make a difference.

Most everyone instinctively knows that a union job is a better job. Unions allow working people a collective voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

By joining together in a union with your co-workers, you can negotiate a contract with your employer which guarantees fair and equal treatment on the job and a voice in workplace decisions–in addition to increased wages, job security and decent working conditions.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, union workers earn 34 percent more in wages compared to non-union workers. Union workers also have better health care, pension plans and other benefits. And then, of course, there’s the grievance procedure, seniority rights, and, simply a greater sense of security and dignity on the job.

What is my “right to organize?”

Your right to join a union is protected by Federal law, according to Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.

“Employees have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection ….” –NLRA, Sec.7

Can my employer prevent me from joining or organizing a union?

It is a violation of Federal law for any employer to threaten, harass, or in any way punish an employee for union activity. Further, employers are not allowed to offer raises, extra benefits or special concessions in order to keep their workers from organizing.

For that matter, your employer isn’t even allowed to ask employees if they support the union or about union meetings and other activities. It is not uncommon, however, for employers to violate the law or stretch it to the limits to keep the union out.

How can I help to organize a union at my workplace?

Contact the South Central Federation of Labor’s Organizing Committee for confidential information and assistance. Until you have spoken with an experienced organizer and fully assessed your workplace conditions, it’s probably better to keep tight-lipped about the whole matter.

The South Central Federation of Labor can provide you with direct support and also connect you with an established union in your trade or industry.

Call South Central Federation of Labor at 256-5111 today, or  click here to access our contact form.