A labor union is a group of two or more employees who join together to advance common interests such as wages, benefits, schedules and other employment terms and conditions. Joining together – or “acting collectively” – workers represented by unions have a powerful voice that strengthens their ability to negotiate with their employer about their concerns. Higher wages, health insurance, vacation days, paid sick leave and retirement benefits are a few examples of what workers achieve through their unions. Workers may also pursue other enhancements – such as flexible scheduling, protections against harassment and safer working conditions – that improve the quality of jobs and workers’ well-being. Unions are membership-driven, democratic organizations governed by laws that require financial transparency and integrity, fair elections and other democratic standards, and fair representation of all workers. Collective Bargaining Collective bargaining is the mechanism or process for an organized group of workers (“labor”) and their employer (“management”) to pursue mutual agreement over workplace issues. The results of these labor-management negotiations are contained in a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The CBA is a legally enforceable, written contract between a union representing a group of employees (“bargaining unit”) and their employer. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service provides training, mediation and facilitation at no cost to the parties to support collective bargaining and to help the parties reach an agreement. In addition, the Federal Labor Relations Authority helps to resolve disputes between labor and management in the federal sector. Learn more about Collective Bargaining Mediation Workers have the right to join with coworkers The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects the rights of most private-sector employees to organize; participate in group efforts to improve their wages and working conditions; determine whether to have a union as their bargaining representative; engage in collective bargaining; and/or to refrain from any of these activities. The law protects the rights of workers to act together to address workplace conditions, with or without a union. By law, employers cannot fire, discipline, demote or penalize workers in any way for engaging in these activities. Workers seeking to form a union at their workplace should talk to their co-workers to build support around issues they are facing. Often workers do this through forming an organizing committee. Workers can contact an established union for support and guidance, or they may seek to organize their own independent union. Learn more from this flyer by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.sportbusiness.com