Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a democratic process in which Local 351 members elect all Union Stewards, Negotiating Committees and Officers.

No worker will pay any Union dues to Local 351 until after a first Collective Bargaining Agreement is voted and approved by the Union members at their respective employer. Union dues are used to provide salaries to the Officers and Staff of Local 351 for administration and representation, to provide for the expenses associated with negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements and the fees associated with arbitrating grievances.

It’s against the law for your employer to retaliate against you by taking away wages or benefits. The purpose of forming a Union is to negotiate improvements in wages and benefits, not to lose them. Local 351 will use your current wages and benefits as the starting point for making proposals with your employer during contract negotiations.

Fairness is one of the most important parts of the Collective Bargaining Agreement – the same rules and conditions of employment apply to all employees. Once a Collective Bargaining Agreement has been agreed to by the Union and your employer, a grievance can be filed to remedy issues. The Union negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement will contain a grievance and arbitration procedure to remedy issues, instead of “Kangaroo Court” that occurs at non-Union employers.

It’s a strategy from the employer to try to make you think that Local 351 is corrupt. It is no secret that history proves that some Labor Unions have been corrupt in the past, but Local 351’s Staff, Officers and Membership is made up of decent, honest, hardworking people like you that have joined together collectively to make the lives of the Union members and their families better.

Local 351 knows when workers stick together collectively as a Union, they have more bargaining power and more of a voice than they do as individuals. We can make no promises on what the Collective Bargaining Agreement will contain because that is for you and your co-workers who join Local 351 to ultimately decide. Local 351 can guarantee that the Collective Bargaining Agreement will be legally binding and that Local 351 will make sure it is enforced.

Companies do not go out of business because they have a Union representing their employees. Companies close because of market conditions or poor management. This is a scare tactic to keep you from voting to join Local 351.

The law prohibits the employer from discriminating against anyone for Union activities. If the employer does discriminate, you need to let us know immediately, so we can file an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

The Officers, Staff or Representatives of Local 351 cannot make you go on a strike. You and your co-workers who are members of Local 351 are the only individuals that get to vote for a strike against your respective employer. This is another scare tactic that the Company uses to keep you from voting to join Local 351.

Signing the Union authorization card is a personal commitment of your support for Local 351 to be your representative at your employer. The Union authorization cards are not shared with your employer but are given to the National Labor Relations Board in order to prove support for Local 351 as the exclusive bargaining agent for you and your fellow co-workers.