WHY A UNION
Organizing For Power
The union difference is more money in your pockets to buy a home, start a family, pay down student loan debt, save for retirement.
Better Pay and Benefits – Union members earn better wages and benefits than workers who aren’t union members. On average, union members: Earn wages, on average, 27 percent higher than non-union workers. – Are 54 percent more likely to have pensions provided by their employer. – Are more likely to have employer-provided health insurance benefits. – Have greater access to apprenticeships and training opportunities.
Unions help bring more working people into the middle class. In fact, in states where people don’t have union rights, workers’ incomes are lower.
Secure Retirement = Unionized workers are 60% more likely to have employer-provided pensions.
Productivity – Unions help employers create a more stable, productive workforce where workers have a say in improving their jobs. Unions provide a voice on the job, which is something that money can’t buy.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) works tirelessly to improve the lives of working people. We are the democratic, voluntary federation of 55 national and international labor unions that represent 12.5 million working men and women.
We strive to ensure all working people are treated fairly, with decent paychecks and benefits, safe jobs, dignity, and equal opportunities. We help people acquire valuable skills and job-readiness for the 21st century economy. In fact, we operate the largest training network outside the U.S. military.
Our work is anchored in making sure everyone who works for a living has family-supporting wages and benefits and the ability to retire with dignity.
We advance legislation to create good jobs by investing tax dollars in schools, roads, bridges, ports and airports, and improving the lives of workers through education, job training and a livable minimum wage.
We advocate for strengthening Social Security and private pensions, ensuring fair tax policies, and making high-quality, affordable health care available to all. We fight for keeping good jobs at home by reforming trade rules, reindustrializing the U.S. economy and providing worker protections in the global economy.
We stand firm in holding corporations accountable for their actions. We help make safe, equitable workplaces and give working people a collective voice to address workplace injustices without the fear of retaliation. We fight for social and economic justice and strive to vanquish oppression in all its forms.
WHY A UNION?
By forming a union, workers provide themselves with the opportunity to secure a voice in their workplace and ensure justice on the job. Union members are able to sit down with management as equals and bargain for better workplace conditions. For some, that might be higher wages and better benefits. For others it might be job security or fair treatment. Regardless of your specific needs, the union’s here to help.
For more than 130 years, unions have fought for workers’ rights and the benefits so often taken for granted. Benefits like sick pay, leaves of absence, bereavement leave, holidays, vacations, retirement security and healthcare.
WHY THE IAM?
The IAM is here to help you. We have an experienced and motivated staff of organizing and servicing representatives to lead you through your campaign. We work very hard to maintain our winning record. As an IAM member, you’ll have a collective bargaining agreement – a legal document that spells out your workplace conditions and how you are treated on the job. Your collective bargaining agreement will elevate you to an equal footing with your employer and ensure you are treated fairly, and your voice is heard.
At the IAM, you will find one of the largest and most experienced unions in North America. You will find Machinists in aerospace, transportation, the federal government, automotive, defense, woodworking and several other industries. We represent workers at companies as diverse as Harley-Davidson, Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Freightliner, Tennessee Valley Authority and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
AFFILIATION WITH THE IAM
If you’re already in a union, we may be able to help you affiliate with the IAM. Being a part of the large, successful IAM can improve your bargaining power and provide many member-only benefits. Organizations like the Shipbuilders Union, Die Sinkers International Union, Patternmakers Union, International Woodworkers of America, the National Federation of Federal Employees and the Transportation Communications International Union have all joined the IAM family.
Here’s all you have to do JOIN THE UNION
36 reasons why you should thank a Union.
From the AFL-CIO
Your Rights to Unionize
Employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act are afforded certain rights to join together to improve their wages and working conditions, with or without a union. Here is some information on your rights, provided by the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees this process for most workers.
Union Activity
Employees have the right to attempt to form a union where none currently exists. Examples of employee rights include:
- Forming, or attempting to form, a union in your workplace;
Joining a union whether the union is recognized by your employer or not;
Assisting a union in organizing your fellow employees;
Refusing to do any or all of these things; and
Having the right to be fairly represented by a union.
Employees who are not represented by a union also have rights under the NLRA. The National Labor Relations Board protects the rights of employees to engage in “concerted activity,” which is when two or more employees take action for their mutual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment. A single employee also may engage in protected concerted activity if he or she is acting on the authority of other employees, bringing group complaints to the employer’s attention, trying to induce group action or seeking to prepare for group action.
A few examples of protected concerted activities are:
- Two or more employees addressing their employer about improving their pay.
Two or more employees discussing work-related issues beyond pay, such as safety concerns, with each other.
An employee speaking to an employer on behalf of one or more co-workers about improving workplace conditions.
Who Is Covered by the NLRA?
Most employees in the private sector are covered by the NLRA. However, the act specifically excludes individuals who are:
- Employed by federal, state or local government.
Employed as agricultural laborers.
Employed in the domestic service of any person or family in a home.
Employed by a parent or spouse.
Employed as an independent contractor.
Employed as a supervisor (supervisors who have been discriminated against for refusing to violate the NLRA may be covered).
Employed by an employer subject to the Railway Labor Act, such as railroads and airlines.
Employed by any other person who is not an employer as defined in the NLRA.
People with this employment status may have rights to unionize through other labor laws.
