What is a Union

A union is a group of workers who form a coalition to help themselves and their colleagues win respect on the job, better wages and benefits, more flexibility for work and family needs, a counterbalance to the unchecked power of employers and a voice in improving the quality of their products and services. Most importantly, the Union is you! As a member of your Local Union, you elect and designate other members to serve as Executive Council members, Negotiations Committee representatives, Building Representatives, and many other Union roles. YOU have a voice in your working conditions. Besides being a member of Local 4018, you are also a member of AFT-Wisconsin, AFT national and the AFL-CIO.

How do people form a union?

When workers decide they want to form a union to improve their jobs by pooling their strengths and resources, contact a state or national union like AFT-Wisconsin for guidance. Once a majority of workers show they want a Local Union, sometimes employers honor the workers’ choice but usually the workers must ask the government to hold an election. If the workers win their Local Union, they negotiate a contract with the employer that spells out each party’s rights and responsibilities in the workplace.

Does the law protect workers joining unions?

Yes. Under the law, which supports freedom of association, employers are not allowed to discriminate against or fire workers for choosing to join a Union.

What kinds of workers are forming unions today?

A wider range of people than ever before, including many women and immigrants, are building Unions — doctors and nurses, poultry workers and graduate employees, home health care aides and wireless communications workers, auto parts workers and engineers, to name a few.

How do unions help working families today?

Through their Union membership, workers earn better wages, preserve healthcare and benefits, and gain a voice on the job — and good Union jobs mean stronger communities. Union workers earn 28 percent more than non-union workers and are more likely to receive health care and pension benefits than those without a union. In 2000, union members’ median weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary were $696, compared with $542 for their nonunion counterparts. Unions lead the fight today for better lives for working people, such as through expanded family and medical leave, improved safety and health protections and fair trade agreements that lift the standard of living for workers all over the world.

What have unions accomplished for all workers?

Unions have made life better for all working Americans. Union members over the course of history fought hard and some even died in the struggle for standards many people today take for granted: laws ending child labor; the eight hour work day; weekends; the protection of workers’ safety and health; and the creation of Social Security, unemployment insurance and the minimum wage.

What about workers in other countries?

Unions fight to ensure that corporations and governments around the world respect all workers’ fundamental rights to: come together and negotiate with employers; refuse forced labor; reject child labor; and work free from discrimination.