It’s your right
to organize a union!

The National Labor Relations Act gives you the right to organize a union in your workplace. Here’s what you are allowed to do … and what your employer is not allowed to do …

You Have the Right to …

  • Participate in meetings to discuss joining a union;
  • Distribute, read and discuss union literature (in non-work areas during breaks and lunch time);
  • Wear union buttons, stickers, t-shirts, and hats to show support for the union;
  • Sign a UE membership card and demand union recognition;
  • Circulate and sign petitions, or …
  • Join together in other activities to protest unfair treatment or demand improvements in wages, hours and working conditions;
  • Organize other employees to support the union, sign union cards, or to file grievances.

These rights are protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (and similar state laws), which gives you the right to join or support a union.

It is Illegal for Your Boss to …

  •  Fire or threaten to fire, layoff, discipline, harass, transfer, or reassign an employee because they support the union;
  •  Favor employees who don’t support the union over those that do in promotions, hours, enforcement of rules or any other conditions;
  • Close or threaten to close your place of employment or take away benefits or privileges in order to discourage union activity;
  • Promise employees a pay increase, promotion, benefit or special favor if they oppose the union;
  • Ask your opinion of the union.

Under Section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act (and similar state laws) it is illegal for your boss to commit any of the acts listed above.

Here’s the Law …
Section 1: The policy of the United States is to be carried out “by encouraging the practice and procedure of collective bargaining and by protecting the exercise by workers of full freedom of association, self-organization, and designation of representatives of their own choosing, for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment…”
Section 7: “Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or bargain collectively through representation of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining…”
Section 8(a): “It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer . . . to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7…”