Forging a New Future for American Labor
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As the oldest union in continuous existence in the United States, the International Union of Journeymen and Allied Trades (IUJAT) is the embodiment of both tradition and innovation in the labor movement.
The IUJAT has thrived by relying on the core principles and values that have kept it strong since 1874 and creating a modern, innovative approach to representation in a rapidly changing world. When many other unions have become obsolete, the IUJAT continues to survive because we understand and meet the needs and challenges of the American worker in a modern economy.
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The IUJAT is an International Union comprised of a number of Direct and National Union affiliates:
BENEFITS
From comprehensive healthcare to the security offered by our IUJAT 401(k) Plan and our constantly expanding UBenefit member services and savings programs, the IUJAT has made a broad range of opportunities and benefit programs available, always with the needs of our union members in mind.
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UnionsMatter
Workers need a way to speak up for their common interests, negotiate the terms of their employment, and, when necessary, to have a system for resolving problems. Working people don't always have the voice they need in the workplace or the tools necessary to resolve these issues alone.
We all have a stake in the economy and in the future, and most working people share the same basic concerns: job security, a voice in the workplace regarding wages, hours, and benefits, safe working conditions, and to be treated with respect.
That's why unions matter. That's where we come in.
Why Unionize?
Your Rights
YOUR UNION RIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES
YOU HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO:
- Join a union.
- Attend a union meeting on your own time.
- Talk to a union organizer.
- Declare yourself a union supporter.
- Assist in forming a union.
EMPLOYERS ARE FORBIDDEN BY LAW TO:
- Threaten you with discharge or punishment if you engage in union activity.
- Threaten to shut down business if workers form a union.
- Prevent you from soliciting members during non-working hours.
- Question you about union matters, union meetings, or union supporters.
- Ask how you or other workers intend to vote in an election.
- Ask whether you belong to a union or have signed up to join a union.
- Transfer or assign you to a less desirable work assignment because of your union activity.
- Threaten to terminate your benefits because you unionize.
- Threaten a layoff or loss of jobs in retaliation for voting for a union.
WEINGARTEN RIGHTS
YOUR WEINGARTEN RIGHTS
If a union could teach only one thing to its members, it should be their “Weingarten rights”—the right of unionized workers to have a Shop Steward or someone else from the union present if they find themselves in situations where they might be disciplined.
Many workers crumble in the face of questioning by their supervisor or other management figure. They get rattled, start explaining, making excuses, apologizing, and often end up giving the employer ammunition to do whatever they want. They become like the suspects you see in police shows on television: they “fess up” to things that perhaps never even happened or say things in such a way that they worsen the problem rather than help resolve the issue.
With few exceptions, workers across North America enjoy the legal right to have a Shop Steward or other union representative present if they find themselves in any situation with management—a conversation, a discussion, an interrogation—that could lead to disciplinary action. For private sector and federal government workers in the U.S., this protection is called Weingarten Rights, named after a 1975 Supreme Court decision. Most state workers and workers throughout Canada enjoy pretty much the same guarantees.
But unlike Miranda rights, which police are supposed to inform criminal suspects about their rights, employers do not have to tell employees about their Weingarten rights. Workers must ask for them.
Do not give Weingarten more power than it has.
The rights do not extend to meetings where no questioning is involved, such as when one-way communication from the supervisor to the worker occurs. Weingarten also does not extend to a discussion about job performance without a threat of discipline.
At the same time, workers do have the right to call Weingarten rights into play if they have any reasonable expectation that a disciplinary action may result from the meeting. The key word here is “may.”
If there is the slightest concern that the session could bring about discipline, the worker has the right to ask for union help even though the supervisor may not be intending to take such action. For example, if other workers have been disciplined for similar alleged situations, the worker being called in has had a previous discussion with the supervisor about discipline, or the worker is working under the threat of a performance warning letter, any of these situations can cause a worker to think that discipline may be an outcome of the meeting.
These Are the Basic Guidelines Covering the Use of Weingarten:
- The employee must make a clear request for union representation before or during the interview. The worker cannot be punished for making such a request.
- The employer must either grant the request and delay questioning until the union person arrives, deny the request but end the interview at once, or give the worker the choice of going ahead without representation or ending the interview immediately.
- An employer who denies the worker’s request for representation and continues to ask questions is committing an unfair labor practice. The worker can legally refuse to answer questions in such circumstances.
If the Employer Obeys the Law and Waits to Continue Until the Union’s Representative Arrives, the Following Rules Apply:
- Once the Shop Steward arrives, the supervisor must inform them about the subject matter of the interview and the type of misconduct under discussion.
- The Shop Steward and the worker should be allowed to talk privately before the questioning begins.
- The Shop Steward can speak during the interview and, if necessary, ask that questions be clarified. The Shop Steward cannot bargain over the purpose of the interview.
- The Shop Steward can advise the worker on how to answer any or all questions or object to improper questioning, and the Shop Steward has the right, once the questioning is ended, to provide additional information. The Shop Steward cannot tell workers not to answer questions or to give false answers.
Fact & Fiction
Fiction:
Unions are outside, special-interest groups.
Fact:
A union is simply a democratic organization of working people standing up for their rights on the job and in society. Unions bring people together in the community to stand up for issues that matter to all working people.
Fiction:
Unions mean more conflict in the workplace.
Fact:
Unions help resolve conflict and can make the workplace more peaceful and productive. A union contract allows the company and workers to sit down as equals and discuss problems as they come up. Without a union, workers’ lives are often in more turmoil because they don't have the security of a CBA or a grievance procedure to deal with disputes.
Fiction:
Unions cause companies to close.
Fact:
Companies close for economic reasons, and the vast majority of companies that close are non-union. However, some companies like to promote this fiction by illegally threatening workers who attempt to form a union with closing the company. Studies actually show that unions help companies by decreasing employee turnover and increasing productivity.
Fiction:
Unions used to be effective, but they’re not anymore.
Fact:
Unions are still by far the best way for working people to win economic security and have a voice on the job. The numbers tell the story: Union members make up to 30% more in wages than non-union workers. Union members are much more likely to have a retirement plan and health insurance than non-union workers. Unions also keep the workplace safe, curb discrimination on the job, and give workers a much-needed voice.
Fiction:
Unions force workers out on strike often.
Fact:
Workers vote whether or not to strike. Strikes gain a lot of attention, but 99% of contract negotiations are settled without a strike. No one ever wants a strike, and it is always a last resort.
Fiction:
Unions just want workers’ dues.
Fact:
Unions are not-for-profit organizations. The money that workers pay in dues goes into running the organization, primarily in the form of representation. Dues levels are set by each Local Union through a democratic process. The gains workers see in pay, benefits, and fair treatment thanks to their unions are far greater than the small cost of union dues.
Fiction:
Most union bosses are corrupt.
Fact:
It’s a tragedy when a trusted leader betrays the membership in any kind of organization. However, for the handful of high-profile stories that are in the media about corrupt union leaders, there are thousands of regular, honest leaders who are never profiled and positive stories that don't make headlines. Sadly, what most people know about unions, they only know from negative press, not from the good and important work they do.
Fiction:
Unions are in decline.
Fact:
Union membership has remained steady for the past 50 years, but the workforce itself has grown. Today, 14.5 million working men and women in the United States are union members.
Fiction:
Unions are political organizations that work to elect Democrats.
Fact:
Unions are not about politics. Unions’ work involves fighting for good contracts, helping workers improve their lives, and standing up for all working families. Some would say that work includes supporting pro-worker political candidates and legislation that help working people and their unions achieve these goals. While the IUJAT does not often get involved in political campaigns, many unions are politically active. However, it is not about electing Democrats or Republicans—it’s about supporting those who stand up for the rights and interests of working people.
“RIGHT-TO-WORK”
“RIGHT-TO-WORK” DOESN’T WORK
“RIGHT-TO-WORK” IS A FALLACY
"Right-to-work" supporters falsely claim that this anti-labor legislation protects workers who don’t want to join a union or who disagree with a union’s policies. However, federal labor law already protects workers who don’t want to join a union or make political contributions.
The so-called "right-to-work" law’s true purpose is to hurt the ability of unions to advocate for workers and serve as a check on corporate greed. Don't be fooled: "right-to-work" is a clever euphemism which, like a Trojan Horse, conceals a policy designed to weaken working people and further empower corporate interests.
Americans hold their rights sacred, but what rights matter more to the hard-working people of this country— the right to be a free rider who won't support or pay dues to the union that continues to represent them and their interests and who let others do all the work for them? Or the right to have a voice, fight injustice, earn a fair wage, and be treated with respect?
False Claims, False Promises
“Right-to-Work” is Wrong for Everyone.
Across the country, workers are facing a barrage of legislative attacks on their rights to form unions and bargain collectively, including so-called "right-to-work" legislation. Anti-worker, anti-labor "right-to-work" laws allow workers in a shop covered by the benefits of a union contract to refuse to pay dues, letting union members alone carry the burden for them. In other words, some workers may now become free riders, refusing to help pay the expenses that the union incurs when protecting their rights and the rights of all employees, while still reaping all of the benefits... while they last.
Contrary to claims from its supporters, "right-to-work" offers no protection or economic benefits for workers. In fact, studies show that these deceptively titled laws actually drive down wages, benefits, and overall living standards for everyone. Furthermore, research reveals that "right-to-work" laws do not even create jobs or improve a state’s business climate, as many proponents claim.
The only purpose of these laws is to weaken the bargaining power of working people and keep wages as low as possible. Short of outlawing unions—which are protected under the Constitution—this is the next best thing to accomplishing that end.
WRONG FOR WORKERS
These laws drive down wages for all workers, including non-union members, women, and people of color. Workers living in “right-to-work states earn about $1,500 less per year than workers in states without these laws. The wage penalty is even higher for women and workers of color.
Workers in ”right-to-work” states are less likely to have health insurance. The rate of employer-sponsored health insurance for workers in “right-to-work” states is 2.6% lower than in states without these restrictions.
”Right-to-work” makes workplaces more dangerous. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of workplace deaths is 52.9% higher in right-to-workstates.
WRONG FOR Business
”Right-to-work” laws do not improve business conditions in states.
www.bepress.com/rle/vol5/iss1/art25
”Right-to-work” is not a deciding factor in where businesses locate.
www.areadevelopment.com/AnnualReports/jan2011/25th-annual-corporate-executive-survey48843.shtml
High-tech companies that provide good-paying, American jobs favor states whereunions have a strong presence because unions provide a highly skilled workforceand decrease turnover.
WRONG FOR Economy
Communities lose jobs when wages are lowered by right-to-work. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that for every $1 million in wage cuts, the local economy sheds six jobs.
www.epi.org/publication/working-hard-indiana-bad-tortured-uphill
“Right-to-work” does not improve the employment rate. In fact, eight of the 12states with the highest unemployment have right-to-work laws.
www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm
According to a report from Ohio University, these laws actually led to a decrease in employment in certain industries.
econpapers.repec.org/article/sejancoec/v_3a73_3a2_3ay_3a2006_3ap_3a402-418.htm
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The IUJAT has numerous programs that will assist you in organizing, educating your members and staff, performing research, and administering your union.
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