How Unions Work
A union is an organization of workers who bargain together with employers over wages, benefits, safety and working conditions. Here’s how the pieces fit together.
- All workers
The basic structure
- International or national union: the parent organization (for example the IBEW or the Laborers).
- Local union: the chapter for your area or workplace. Members elect officers and vote on contracts.
- Business agent / business manager: runs day-to-day business for the local, deals with contractors, and enforces contracts.
- Steward: a coworker on the jobsite who represents members and helps with problems.
- Collective bargaining agreement (CBA): the written contract with wages, benefits, hours, overtime, safety rules, seniority and grievance procedures.
What members get
- Negotiated wages and benefits such as health insurance, pension or annuity funds
- A grievance procedure to challenge unfair discipline or contract violations
- Training and apprenticeship programs. See Apprenticeships.
- Safety committees, and a collective voice on hazards
- In the building trades, hiring halls or referral lists. See Construction Trade Unions.
Dues and fees
Members pay dues to fund the union’s work. Building trades often use a monthly dues amount plus a “working dues” percentage of hourly pay. In right-to-work states, workers covered by a contract can’t be required to pay dues or fees.
Your rights as a union member
- Weingarten rights: you can ask for a union representative at an investigatory interview that you reasonably believe could lead to discipline.
- The union must represent all workers it covers fairly (duty of fair representation).
- Under federal law (the LMRDA), members have rights to vote in union elections, attend meetings, speak freely, and see financial reports.
Standards & references
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