Q. What is a union?
A. A union is a formal organization of workers who join together to bargain contracts and take other collective action for wages, benefits, working conditions, and a say in workplace decisions that impact them at work and in their lives. A union is not a "third party" between management and workers; the union IS the workers!
Q. Why would we unionize?
A. A union is the only way to ensure that we have a true voice in our workplace. Without a union, our employer can change any of our conditions of employment whenever they want. Many other 853 schools like ours already have union contracts where they receive higher wages with guaranteed increases, employer-provided health insurance, paid sick days and vacation time, and retirement benefits. We are also currently at-will employees that can be fired at any time, for any reason. A strong contract will also provide increased job security.
Q. How do we get a union contract?
A. More details on this process are available here.
Q. How can I support if I don't have time to be involved?
A. We all have busy lives outside of work and it can be challenging to find time to get involved in the unionization effort on top of everything. However, there are many ways to become involved; by talking to coworkers, attending a meeting, and more. Contact us to learn more.
Q. What are union dues?
A. Dues are how we resource our union so that we have the staff support, legal resources, and more to fight for and win good contracts with the pay, benefits, and working conditions we deserve. We have a say in what our dues are, and we won't pay dues until after we win a first contract. That means we won't pay dues until we know for sure that the pay and benefits we win far outweigh the cost of dues, and NYSUT staff is committed to helping us win a contract that's worth it.
Q. What will our employer say about the union?
A. Many employers will go to some extreme lengths to prevent their employees from unionizing so that management can continue to have all the say in decisions. However, we have the legal right to form a union, and we want to exercise that right just like the teachers and therapists did. Because they just went through it, and we got to see how our employer responded, we’re more prepared. It is also illegal for employers to retaliate against workers for collectively addressing workplace concerns, including unionizing.
Q. Do unions protect bad employees?
A. We believe that staff should be held accountable. Forming a union doesn’t mean we get protection from not doing our jobs. Forming a union means we can win a contract that entitles every employee to regular evaluations and transparent due process for progressive discipline. In other words, forming a union means we get fair representation in a fair disciplinary process so that effective workers don’t get fired and ineffective workers receive accountability.