Why Form a Union?

Frequently Asked Questions

Forming a union changes the basic power relationship at the workplace. Without a union, employers have almost all the rights. They can change your pay and working conditions at any time as long as they do not violate certain laws, like the minimum wage. Any benefits you receive are at the discretion of the employer. Join the Union!

Once you form a union, your employer cannot make changes in your working conditions unless they are negotiated with you as union members. Any benefits or working conditions covered by your contract are protected by law.
When it comes time to negotiate a contract, workers decide what kinds of things could be improved at their work site and make proposals to their employer. Your employer is obligated to negotiate over most proposals that affect the quality of your work life. Having a union gives you the strength of numbers to improve your pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Linn County members
decided to show the
County they were
serious about Alternative
Work Schedules. They
marched to the
Courthouse, wearing
purple to show solidarity.

How does SEIU Local 503 work?
Like all unions, SEIU Local 503 is made up and run by its members. You elect your own committee for contract negotiations and vote to approve the contract. After you have a contract you elect your own stewards to help make sure that the contract is followed.

The officers of the Local are also elected by the membership. There are regular membership meetings where members discuss the issues that are important to their union.

“The union” is not made up of outsiders. It is made up by and for you and your co-workers.
Union staff assist the members in negotiating contracts, filing grievances, training stewards, and working towards ways to make workplaces better.

Can I get in trouble for being a part of a union?
Almost all public employees in Oregon have the right to form a union, and Governor Kulongoski has stated strongly that all non-management employees in State service have that right.
However, if anyone gets into trouble or is in any way discriminated against for forming a union, we will file charges with the Employee Relations Board and will take other appropriate action.
How much are union dues? What are they for?
The dues rate is set by a membership vote. In SEIU/OPEU the dues rate for this local is 1.7% of your gross pay plus $2.75 per month.
It takes money to run an organization, like a church, a club, or a union. Union dues go to pay for contract negotiation expenses, salaries for union representatives, office and support services, legal services, union newsletters and other communications, training for stewards and members, and for organizing.
How much is the initiation fee?
SEIU/OPEU has no initiation fee.
Will everyone have to join?
All non-management, non-confidential, non-elected employees have the choice to become or not become union members once there is an election to vote in the union. However, unions are legally obligated to represent everyone within the bargaining unit, whether or not they are union members. Non-members are covered by the contract, may file grievances, and are represented by the union, and are even represented by a union attorney in arbitration hearings.
For this reason, in most unions, those who choose not to become union members have to pay a “fair share” fee, their fair share of the cost of bargaining and administering. In work sites where everyone is a union member, workers find that they can act most effectively as a union because management knows that all employees are united.
What will forming a union guarantee?
Forming a union can only guarantee one thing: when workers stick together they have more bargaining power than individuals.

After you vote to form a union, you — with the assistance of union staff — will negotiate a contract. The employer must negotiate with you as unionized workers about wages, benefits and working conditions.Bargaining with Jackson County
The contract you negotiate will be legally binding on the employer. While there is no guarantee about what will be in the contract, you can see what is in the contract that other unionized workers have by going to the Contracts link in each section. Acting as a union,workers can make sure that the administration follows the contract.
What is a grievance procedure?
A grievance procedure is a method for solving employee complaints. Right now, you can take your complaints to management, but management has the final say on whether to make improvements or correct a problem. Not many employees feel the existing grievance procedure works for them.
With a union contract, you can have the help of the union steward, whom you choose from among yourselves, to help you file a grievance. If the employer refuses to settle the complaint, the grievance goes to a neutral arbitrator chosen by mutual agreement between our union and the employer. The employer and the union would be required to abide by the arbitrator’s decision.
If we form a union, does it mean that we can’t deal directly with our supervisor?
In a union setting, most problems are resolved directly between workers and their supervisors. A union steward gets involved in a problem only after a worker has not received satisfaction from attempts to work something out directly with the employer.
In a non-union workplace, a person can talk all he or she wants with management — but management has the last word, take it or leave it.
In a unionized workplace, a worker can still talk all he or she wants to management, but doesn’t have to take “no” for an answer. Being part of a union gives you the right to effectively appeal unfair decisions and force the employer to correct unfair actions.
If we form a union, will we have to go on strike?
The decision to go on strike is very serious and occurs only when workers feel that they must take dramatic action to protect their rights, wages, and benefits. State workers have gone on strike only twice in the last 25 years, but as a result, they have been able to maintain fully paid health insurance and avoid pay cuts. Members would only go on strike if they voted overwhelmingly to do so. The decision about what to fight for and how hard to fight will be up to you, the workers.
For more information, contact Danica Finley at 503-408-4090.