Ever wonder how, exactly unions are formed? The Center for American Progress is out with a new video that explains the process step-by-step.
Watch it here:
The main point of the video is simple: it's really, really hard to join a union. Only one in seven union drives will ultimately reach a point where they get a first contract within a year.
Here's the gist:
When a group of co-workers decide that they want to form a union, they sign cards that say they'd like to join. The process continues until at least 30% of the employees sign the cards, but most unions wait until around 50% or even 70% of employees sign them, for reasons that will become clear in just a moment.
At this point, the boss gets to make a choice. If the signed cards totals 50% plus one, then the employer can choose to recognize the union, since there's a majority. We call that "majority signup."
But if the boss chooses not to recognize the union through majority signup, they have a second option - even though a majority have said they want a union, forcing a process called the "secret ballot."
This is what the Employee Free Choice Act is all about: we want employees to make the choice, not their bosses.
In a secret ballot election, the boss gets to decide how, when and under what conditions the process is held. Many employers use the "secret ballot" method as a way to drag the process out. This election can be delayed for weeks, months, even years - enough time to scare employees into changing their minds.
During a "secret ballot" election, here's what a typical employee might face:
- 91% of the time, workers experience one-on-one meetings with their bosses, who may threaten anything from changing their hours, shipping their job overseas, or even closing down the company completely.
- In 82% of cases, workers may be observed or receive visits from union-busting public relations firms and lawyers.
- In 25% of cases, employees are illegally fired during the course of trying to join a union.
- 40% of the time, there's simply never a vote.
