How To Form A Union: Step By Step - More Perfect Union

[TexasTowelie]

Over the last couple of years, record numbers of American workers have walked off the job. That makes it sound easy, but as anyone who has done it knows, that’s a big decision. A recent survey found that 63 percent of workers who quit their jobs or left for a new job in 2021 did so because their pay was simply too low, and 57 percent said it was because they “felt disrespected at work.”

Does this sound familiar? Is there something happening in your workplace now, or in your workplace in the future, that you want to change?

Maybe you feel like you’re ready to take action to solve some of these problems in your workplace. More Perfect Union has covered many union drives and labor actions. But the statistical odds are, if you’re watching this from the United States, you probably aren’t in a union, or haven’t had the opportunity to join one. So where do you even start? How do you actually form a union?

We created this video to help provide a simplified guide to the basics of the process. While no short video or guide could give you all the organizing or legal advice you might need throughout the process, we hope this can be a good jumping-off point for you to learn the basics!

Resources:
Visit unionsforall.org
Get in touch with the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee
Research examples of unions at jobs similar to yours or explore Cornell’s list of labor unions in the U.S.
Visit AFLCIO.org to search directories of local labor councils and AFL-CIO-affiliated unions
Visit unitworkers.com

[BigmanPigman]

1. I wish I knew this in 1992

when I was speaking with a coworker during my break at Macy's when I discussed the need for a union. I was called into the general manager's office within 24 hours. After the store closed due to the recession I made myself a promise...go I to a career with a union like my dad and AT&T. I became a teacher and the site union rep. I was harassed for it for 15 years by every single administrator. Fuck school districts!!! They are all business and do not give a shit about the kids. The school district was as bad as Macy's and for the same reasons...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Nothing changes. Money/greed is the original problem with everything connected to humans. Unions must protect us from them.