Collective Bargaining

A union can’t guarantee anything because it can’t guarantee what a company is willing to agree to. A union that wins an election only wins the right to negotiate for a collective bargaining agreement – and it takes both sides to agree for there to be an agreement. That’s why, in a recent 13 – year study, only 56% – just over half of the time – unions were successful in ever reaching a first contract.

The union can make promises; the Company can’t. Unions are allowed to make promises to get signatures on authorization cards or to convince workers to vote for it. That’s because the union can always ask for the things it promises, even if the Company is not likely to agree.

A company, on the other hand, cannot make any promises during any part of a union campaign. The National Labor Relations Board says there can be no “Promising or granting promotions, pay raises, or other benefits to influence an employee’s vote by a party capable of carrying out such promises.” Why is this the law? Why can the union promise everything but the company can’t promise anything? Because the company, unlike the union, is the only one that does have the power to deliver on promises.

The union cannot guarantee anything. During negotiations, the union can make demands from the company that are often unrealistic. The company can simply say no, and has the right to stay in business.  Ask the union to put its promises in writing and you’ll see if they stand behind their words.

An election does not change things immediately. Negotiations take time. The negotiators and their committees need to find time to meet and work through every single detail.

Everything is negotiable.  The law is very clear:  You could end with more, you could end up with what you have now, or you could end up with less.  Your existing hours of work, job duties, wages, benefits, and work rules are all subject to change.

Unfortunately, it’s usually not until the election is over and negotiations begin that the truth about a union’s empty promises is revealed.

Don’t be fooled into thinking union promises automatically translate into realities. Collective bargaining means negotiations, and nothing is guaranteed.