The union and the company come together for a series of meetings to reach an agreement on a union contract.
During these meetings, the union may negotiate for the things it's promised you, but it's also allowed to ask for things the union wants, things that you might not care about at all.
In addition, the union can trade away things that you do care about to get what they want.
If a union is voted in, we will begin contract negotiations, which is a process called collective bargaining. Under collective bargaining, the Teamsters may or may not negotiate for things it has promised you, but it may also try to get things more important to the union than to you.
If a union is voted in, we will begin contract negotiations, which is a process called collective bargaining. Under collective bargaining, the Teamsters may or may not negotiate for things it has promised you, but it may also try to get things more important to the union than to you.
• There is no time limit:
— Bargaining can take months or years. The average time to negotiate a first contract is 465 days.1
— During negotiations – even though they take more than a year – U.S. AutoForce must under law maintain the “status quo”, meaning the company cannot make changes to your pay, benefits, or working conditions.
more,
the same
or even less.
Q: What is collective bargaining?
A: Collective bargaining is the negotiation process between the employer and a union to reach agreement on a contract. The average time to negotiate a first contract is 465 days. That's a long time to wait to see what you'd get in a Teamsters contract.
Q: Can't the union demand higher pay?
A: The union can make lots of demands, but the employer is not required to agree to any of those demands. Everything is subject to negotiations. Collective bargaining in good faith doesnot mean doing whatever the union wants. The company has the right to say "NO" to any of the union's demands if the company believes those demands aren't in the best interest of the business.
Q: The union says it will start with what we have now and get us more.
A: That is not true. When a union is voted in, all pay and benefits are subject to negotiation. While they could go up, they could stay the same, or they could even be reduced.
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that: "Collective bargaining is potentially hazardous for employees, and as a result of such negotiations, employees might possibly wind up with less benefits after unionization than before." (228 NLRB 440)
Q: What happens to my pay and benefits during negotiations?
A: Once a union petition is filed, the employer must maintain the “status quo” – meaning keep your pay and benefits as they are today. By law, the company could not give union-represented drivers any increase offered to other drivers until an agreement is reached with the union.
Q: Would the Teamsters be in charge of drivers if the union wins the election?
A: No, almost all contracts recognize that the employer has specific rights, including to:
o Decide how to spend its resources, manage its facilities, and direct the workforce.
o Hire, promote, transfer, demote, or lay off employees and contract out certain work.
o Set policies, rules and regulations for safety, performance, procedures, and conduct. Basically, the company still runs the business, union or not.
Q: What else can change in a union contract?
A: In addition to pay and benefits, a union contract could include rigid rules that cover everything from time off, to holidays to how schedules are made. Most also give special privileges by seniority, which means if you want a particular week off and a more senior driver requests the same week, it will always go to the person with the most seniority.
Q: If I don't like the contract, can I opt out?
A: No. Once the union has been voted in, you cannot opt out of the union, the contract, or the union's own rules and regulations.
In a typical clause, you'll see language that says the company has the right to decide how it spends its resources, manage its facilities and direct the workforce. It often also gives management the right to hire, promote, transfer, demote, or lay off employees, or to subcontract, or contract out work, and set the policies, rules and regulations that govern safety, performance, procedures, and conduct.
Basically, the company still runs the business, union or not.
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that:
"...collective bargaining is potentially hazardous for employees and that as a result of such negotiations employees might possibly wind up with less after unionization than before." -- Coach and Equipment Sales Corp., 228 NLRB 440
There are no quick fixes and, when it's all over, you could even end up with LESS than what you have right now.
