Are you ready to have a voice on the job? As a member of the USW, you’ll have the opportunity to bargain over important issues including wages and benefits. You’ll also be able to make other positive changes like putting a stop to favoritism, having a say on workplace safety and promoting dignity and respect.
If you’re interested in forming a union in your workplace call our toll-free hotline at 877-511-8792, or fill out the form on this page and someone will be in touch with you. You can also learn more by checking out the resources below.
A union is a group of people working together to advance their interests in the workplace through collective action and collective bargaining.
What difference does a union make?
Being in a union means together we can negotiate a written contract with management over anything that affects our jobs, including wages, benefits and working conditions.
A union contract is a legally binding, enforceable document. With a union, we’re in a stronger position to address management and improve our workplaces.
Who runs the union?
We do! The union is a democracy at every level. Together, we elect our negotiating committees, as well as local, district and international leadership.
Aren’t there already laws that protect us?
Laws governing employment, safety, discrimination and overtime all exist because millions of union members fought for them. Having a union provides additional protections.
A union grievance process ensures that everyone is treated fairly and equally, without favoritism and discrimination. A union contract, with the aid of union resources and staff, ensures that employers follow existing laws.
What sorts of benefits and protections can we achieve through collective bargaining?
Winning a contract through collective bargaining means having a legally enforceable document that guarantees our conditions of employment. Those benefits cannot be changed unilaterally by the employer without negotiating with our union.
Here are some examples of the kinds of things USW members often negotiate:
We’re stronger together than we are alone. Unions allow us to speak with one voice to address the things most important to us on the job and build power for working people.
The difference is clear:
On average, a worker covered by a union contract earns up to 20 percent more than peers with a similar background in a non-unionized workplace.
96% of workers covered by a union contract have employer-sponsored health care benefits, compared to 69% of non-union workers.
Union members work in safer workplaces that prevent death, illness, and injury to workers.
Union members have a seat at the table in the decisions that impact their jobs and workplaces. The protections of a union allow workers to advocate for better working conditions without the fear of retaliation from their employer.
On average, a worker covered by a union contract earns up to 20 percent more than peers with a similar background in a non-unionized workplace.
Most private sector employees have the right to organize under the National Labor Relations Act. Public sector workers have similar rights under laws specific to their states.
You are protected by law when you:
It is illegal for your employer to:
If you’d like more information about starting a union, contact us. Join us as we use the power of our collective to negotiate better wages and working conditions, advance workplace safety and promote dignity and respect on the job.