How to Become a Union Carpentry Shop
The right to form a labor union is protected by law, but obtaining a union shop designation for a carpenters' union requires a special provision in its contract.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 19% of carpenters are unionized. Carpenters who want a union shop must vote for a union and negotiate a contract that includes a union shop provision. Union shop rules require that all workers join a union.
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Instructions
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Starting a Union
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Contact an existing carpenter's union about forming a union in your workplace. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters is the largest union, but there are smaller regional unions, as well. Talk with a union organizer about organizing your workplace.
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Find out if your state bans union shop provisions in contracts. Twenty-two states have "right-to-work" laws that ban requiring a person to join a union. There is a list of these states in this article's "Warnings" section. The union organizer will be able to inform you about applicable labor laws in your state.
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Start an organizing committee comprising influential members in your workplace. They should be knowledgeable about forming a union and be willing to speak to co-workers about the unionizing process.
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4
Start promoting the union among your co-workers. This can be done outside of work if the management is hostile to a union effort. Educate co-workers about the benefits of the union and what a union shop would mean for them.
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Have pro-union workers sign union authorization cards or a petition to the National Labor Relations Board. When at least one-third of the workforce has signed, a union election can be called.
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Speak to co-workers about voting for a union during the election. The election will be run and monitored by the National Labor Relations Board. A simple majority is needed to authorize the union to represent workers. If the majority of workers votes in favor of a union, the process can move ahead to contract negotiations.
Getting Union Shop Designation
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Meet with management personnel at your workplace to discuss union contract negotiations. The union you are planning to join can provide lawyers and negotiators to help you formulate a list of demands and negotiate on behalf of your union co-workers.
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Make the union shop designation part of the contract. This will require that all the people in the workplace who are covered by the union and are receiving benefits must pay union dues.
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While maintaining the union shop demands, negotiate the rest of the contract. When a final contract agreement is reached, the contract will then be put to a vote by the union members.
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Promote the contract to the union's voting members. A simple majority is needed to approve the contract. When the contract is voted in, the workplace is officially under a union contract and has been designated as a union carpentry shop.
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Tips & Warnings
The following 22 states are "right-to-work" states that ban union shop contracts: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.
Keep in mind that union organizers and supporters often face harassment and/or may be fired from their jobs by management.
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition: Carpenters
- AFL-CIO: How To Start A Union Where You Work
- Us Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division: State Right-to-work Laws and Constitutional Amendments in Effect as of January 1, 2009 With Year of Passage
- Globalresearch.ca: Workers' Rights in America: How to Start a Union in Ten Steps
Resources
- Photo Credit carpenter image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
