What Difference Would a Union Make?

Job Cuts: Most union contracts establish strict rules about job security and the conditions under which job cuts or reductions in the work force take place. This makes sure that everyone is treated fairly.

• Employee representatives would have the right to meet with management before job cuts, to discuss how best to consider employee welfare and how the job cuts should be conducted.
  

• We could insure that any terminations do not discriminate against older employees

• We could insist that job postings on HRA are really open and that divisions don't have hiring freezes when employees have 30 days to find another position.

• We could stipulate that IBM must rehire people who were let go before hiring new employees.

• The union (possibly in cooperation with the company) could provide training programs to prepare affected employees for different jobs within the company

• When business conditions improve, employees whose jobs are cut would be asked to come back to their jobs, before the company can advertise open positions to the public.

• If an employee is let go and then later recalled to the job, they would retain their seniority and benefits, such as accrued weeks of vacation. (How different is this from IBM, who has stated they will fill any re-opened positions with temps?)

• The union could ensure no job cuts be allowed as a result of subcontracting

• Union Privilege benefits -- available TODAY to dues-paying members of the Alliance -- allow employees who have been let go to skip credit card, loan and mortgage payments for two months without a penalty fee and without a hit to your credit rating.

• Union contracts can also specify ALTERNATIVES to job cuts. These can cushion the effects of the job cuts on employees. Some examples of alternatives, chosen from real contracts at companies like Verizon, Boeing, and others, are: Employees can choose among a special unpaid leave of up to two years to pursue career or personal interests while the company pays all benefits--including tuition assistance; or a voluntary lump sum payment to leave the business; or, for those close to pension eligibility, an unpaid transition leave of absence until they become pension eligible.

• Another alternative to forced terminations would be a voluntary program, so those who are most interested in leaving the company could do so with a severance package, and thus preserve some jobs for those who really need or want them.

Sale to another business: Union contracts are preserved with the new employer, ensuring your peace of mind.

Fear and uncertainty about your part of the business being sold to another company is how employees feel now, because we do not have anything about our employment in writing, and we know there are no guarantees. A contract would ensure we keep our same benefits, pension, salaries, and working conditions. The new company would be legally obligated to honor the existing contract.

Without a union: Management dictates everything about a layoff or sale. Negotiations take place in secret; decisions are made completely by management; employees have no rights in the entire process. With a union, employees would work together with management to work out the best solution for both the company and the employees. We would have a voice at the table. You could sleep better at night.

What are you waiting for?

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