AFL-CIO SCHOLARSHIP TEST STUDY GUIDE 1

union

a group of workers who come together to improve their working conditions through collective action and negotiating contracts around wages, hours, and working conditions

what type of workers have unions?

artisans, railway workers, miners, factory workers, construction workers, nurses, bus drivers, writers, engineers, teachers, office workers, flight attendants, farm workers, actors, firefighters, graduate and undergraduate student workers and more

how does a union work?

1. They are democratic

2. The highest governing body in a union is the membership

3. They are completely funded by their members through union dues

what is the point of a union?

The point of a union is to represent all workers in a particular bargaining unit which is a category in the workplace. Members elect leaders to represent them

how do workers form a union?

*simple in theory, difficult in practice

When workers want to form a union it usually begins by several folks coming together to share common concerns or ideas for improvement at work. These workers would then talk to a local union and work with organizers to build support for the union among the other workers. If it seems like most workers at a workplace are interested in organizing a union, they can show this support through a card-check or through an election. A card-check is when employees sign union authorization cards showing their support for a union in the workplace. When more than 50% of employees submit cards, the employer can recognize the union voluntarily. If the employer refuses to do so, workers can contact the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a secret-ballot election where workers can vote on whether or not they wish to form a union. If employees vote for the union in the official election, the employer must negotiate with the workers.

NLRB

National Labor Relations Board ; government agency in charge of enforcing U.S. labor law for private companies. Members of the board are appointed to five-year terms by the U.S. President

benefits for union workers

1. You can come together and voice concerns in workplace; and work with others to make concrete changes

2. Union workers can bargain a new contract every few years to improve wages, hours, and working condition ; they don't have to have to ask individual pay raise etc.

3. With a union employers must have a just cause to discipline or fire a worker

4. Union workers usually have higher wages, healthcare benefits, better workplace safety, more voice in company policies and more

public sector unions

formed at government-run institutions such as public schools, the postal service, public universities, police and fire departments

private sector unions

formed at private companies

Wagner Act

also known as National Labor Relations Act : an act passed in 1935 that protects the rights of employees and gives them explicit rights to form unions. When it was passed in the 1930s it was the first time, the NLRA guaranteed that workers' representatives must have the same rights as employers, including the right to sit across the table as their equals

how are public sector employees protected in Massachusetts ?

In Massachusetts, government employees including teachers are protected by federal laws as well as Chapter 150(e), the state law that gives public-sector employees the right to unionize and bargain collectively

why do union members pay dues ?

Union members pay dues to financially support the union to work on behalf of all workers. Union dues pay for union organizers and staff salaries, legal fees, strike funds, and much more. Without paying dues, workers would not be able to afford many of the legal protections that are afforded to them by being in a union.

do you unions participate in electoral politics?

political engagements depend on the union; most unions do some political work via international union; some endorse political candidates; some unions actively work to register members to vote and encourage political activity. all vary on what membership and leadership decide

many unions however engage in political issues that matter to their members, including minimum wage, health care, etc.

what's the difference between Democratic and democratic?

democratic with a small "d" meaning that the members make organizational decisions

what does right to work mean?

DOES NOT give anyone the right to work.

DOES refer to legislation that weakens unions by allowing workers to benefit from union representation without paying dues or agency fees to cover the costs of the union's work

Janus vs AFSCME

Supreme Court decided that public-sector unions cannot require workers to pay fees (sometimes called "fair share fees" or "agency fees") to cover the costs of bargaining contracts and advocating for workers in a workplace

Harriet Tubman (1822 - 1913)

Harriet Tubman's work is an integral part of the beginning of labor history in the US because slavery was the result of increased demand for labor, and abolitionists who fought against it were participating in strikes and other forms of withholding labor. This ultimately laid the groundwork for unions and labor activism today.

César Chávez (1927 - 1993)

-Mexican American farm worker, labor leader, and Latinx civil rights activist

-after years of discrimination decided to become organizer for the Community Service Organization (CSO) ; his job was to urge Mexican Americans to register to vote

-Chávez was director from 1958-1962

Community Service Organization (CSO)

a Latinx civil rights group

National Farm Workers Association (NWFA)

-founded in 1962 by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta

-now called the United Farm Workers (UFW)

-largest union of farm workers

-main goal is to advocate for rights to higher wages & collectively bargain

-have worked with AFL-CIO to protest, boycott, and strike for farmer rights

Eugene V. Debs (1855 - 1926)

He founded the American Railway Union, which he organized against the Pullman Palace Car Company during the Pullman strike. Later he organized the Social Democratic party, which eventually became the Socialist Party of America. In the 1912 presidential election, he ran as the Socialist party's candidate and received more than 900,000 votes. (page 782)

Mother Jones (1837 - 1930)

-real name was Mary Harris Jones, community organizer and prominent labor organizer in late 1800s

-worked w/ knights of labor and the United Mine Workers union, and she co- founded the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

-she was different because he included African-American workers, women, and children when organizing strikes

- banished from mining towns and jailed often

Samuel Gompers (1850 - 1924)

-first president of the American

Federation of Labor (AFL) (1886 -1894 and 1895-1924) , the

largest coalition of labor unions in the United States

-believed in three principles to win rights for workers: trade unionism, focus on improving wages and workers' right not forming political coalitions, labor movement should

practice political nonpartisanship and focus on supporting candidates who were on the side of labor, no matter what political party they represented

Ai-jen Poo (1974 - present)

Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance; pushed to pass Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights; instrumental in recent change to include caretakers of elderly and disabled persons in federal minimum wage and overtime protections

Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights

entitled this group of workers to overtime pay, one day off per week, protection from discrimination, and three days of paid leave per year

Arbitration

formal process whereby a third party (the arbitrator) settles a dispute between an employer and the union by holding a hearing and issuing a final decision if the parties can't agree on their own

Bargaining Agent/Exclusive Bargaining Representative

refers to the organization that will represent a specific group of workers in bargaining a contract

Bargaining Unit

group of workers that is represented by a particular union

Boycott

organized effort to stop patronizing a company or a particular product, in order to pressure a company or an industry to recognize a union or to change its practices

Collective Bargaining

representatives for the employer/management and the employees/union sit down to talk about what should be included in their next Collective Bargaining Agreement (also called the contract). Both parties will make proposals related to wages, hours, working conditions, benefits, and much more. These might include: raises, vacation time, schedule and hours, parental leave, health care, travel rules, preparation time, and health and safety. At the end of the bargaining process, they will have a new contract to govern the workplace for a specified number of years

Grievance

formal complaint process that is used when an employer violates or misinterprets the collective bargaining agreement

Just Cause

states that an employer cannot fire or discipline an employee without a good reason

Lockout

similar to a strike, however, it is initiated by management and is also usually prohibited in a collective bargaining agreement

Mandatory Subject of Bargaining

items that directly impact wages, hours, or working conditions

Picket line

a group of workers on strike, asking people not to enter the building or engage with the employer

Salt

someone who works for a company or employer with the intention of organizing the workers into a union ; The salt is a regular employee of the company

Strike

the withholding of labor by workers

wildcat strike

a strike not approved by the strikers' union and illegal

Social Justice Unionism

unions that focus on defending the rights of the larger community and forming coalitions with community groups and other social movements

Union Density

union density is a percentage of workers who are members of unions in a city, in an industry, or in larger geographic areas

IWW (Industrial Workers of the World)

The IWW believed there should be "one big union" as opposed to many small craft unions, and its leaders disagreed with labor organizations that accepted capitalism and sought to work with industry. The IWW was founded on the ideal of a peaceful workers' revolution and aimed to organize the entire working class in solidarity