Organizing 101
Inform - Educate - Win Together
​
A guide to all your questions about the basic union process.
WHAT TO EXPECT
WHEN YOU ORGANIZE
Steps of a campaign
First Contact
Once matched with an IAEP organizer, you will begin by building a team of your peers to organize your workplace.
Card Collection
Interest Cards are collected to submit to the Labor Agency that represents your workplace (NLRB, PERC, etc.)
Filing / Official Hearings
The IAEP provides legal counsel throughout the entire process, especially should the Labor Agency require a hearing or the employer disputes your right to organize.
Election
Where YOU get to vote yes to being represented as a Union Body.
Appeals
Our legal counsel can file an appeal or objection if management does anything illegal during this process.
Victory!
Now begins the real work of setting up your Local. You will have an IAEP National Rep by your side the entire time for guidance and help.
What to expect management to say:
Throughout the course of every organizing campaign, management teams rely on a predictable playbook time and again. You can expect management to act and speak in ways that promote division in the workplace and make it seem like success is impossible.
Management will say...
"The Union is a third party"
"Cards are legally binding"
"You will have to strike"
"The Union does not represent you"
"Dues are expensive"
"This could take years"
"Give us a chance to fix things"
But the truth is...
The Union is YOU!
Only YOU can vote, and only YOUR vote can decide the future.
Strikes are rare and only occur when over 90% of the members in a specific Local vote to do so. We do NOT tell you that you're on strike.
Management thinks the union is a giant business full of rich executives. Your union leadership is elected from within your workplace and YOU determine the goals for your Local.
Dues cost less than $12 per week.
Only if management chooses to ignore the needs of their employees in negotiations.
They've had how much time to fix it without you acting. Why would they fix it now?
Common management campaign tactics:
Forced Meetings​
-
Management loves stopping you and your coworkers from serving your patients to sit in a room and be told how bad the union is for you. You can believe everything they say – just trust them!
​
-
While management can legally hold these meetings, you’re not required to participate in them or take them seriously.
Ownership "Spreads the Love"
-
You are going to meet and receive messages or videos from owners and staff members in management that you never knew existed before. They all love you and they’re watching out for you – you just didn’t know it!
Divide and Conquer!
-
Management will use messaging to cause division in the workplace. They’ll talk to full-time employees about how the part-timers are going to run the union; or tell EMTs that they won’t have any voice because the Paramedics run everything. We’ve even heard the biggest lie of them all – part-time employees don’t get representation.
​
-
Remember, it’s about keeping you fighting each other so they keep 100% workplace control.
Free Food!
-
Suddenly, you will notice that management thinks the only way to win your vote is through as much free pizza as they can schedule in the workplace.
Chatty Supervisors Everywhere
-
Simply put, everybody in management is going to be curious about what you think and what you’re hearing.
​
-
You aren’t required to tell anybody how you feel, how you are going to vote and management cannot make you report on your coworkers. Talk to a union representative after this kind of a conversation.
"Look- We fixed it!"
-
That thing in your workplace that’s been broken for a year or two and management’s ignored? Expect that to suddenly be fixed. You might even get a surprise raise or other incentive from management, because now, “they care about you!”
​
-
The Union is never going to make management take away a good thing – you can take management’s “gift” and still vote for a union voice in the workplace.
Steps of Negotiation
Step 1
Members elect a Bargaining Committee to represent them in negotiations with their IAEP Chief Negotiator.
Step 2
The Bargaining Committee and Negotiator work with you and your members to find out what you want to see change or stay the same in your contract. They prepare proposals based on these ideas.
Step 3
The Bargaining Committee and Negotiator finalize bargaining proposals and request dates to meet with management.
Step 4
The Bargaining Committee and Negotiator meet with management to make proposals and negotiate over the language of your contract.
Step 5
Management and the Union reach a tentative agreement or draft complete contract. You and your fellow members meet with the Bargaining Committee and Negotiator to learn more about the changes in the contract before you vote to approve or not.
Step 6
You and your fellow members vote to approve and implement the new agreement. The terms of this contract take effect and your local leadership can begin working with management to implement any new rules.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS
Does the employer have to negotiate with the union?
Yes. The employer is legally obligated to bargain in good faith with the union.
Why does it take so long to get a contract?
Each contract is written to suit the needs of the members in question. We do not carbon copy contracts from unit to unit; we take in every request the members have and do our best to negotiate with their employer to secure them.
How long does it take to negotiate a contract?
Typically, it takes 6-8 months for an initial contract, depending on demands of members.
Who negotiates the contract for the union?
The bargaining committee negotiates the terms of the contract. This committee consists of members that are elected by the Local and your national negotiator, who is provided to you by the union.
What can we ask for in a contract?
The three major categories are wages, working conditions, & benefits. These include but are not limited to: health insurances, retirement plans, PTO, schedules, training guidelines, uniform allocation, and grievance procedures.
What happens if the contract doesn't pass?
During the contract vote, you can add notes to your vote. If a vote fails, we analyze these responses and return to the table to amend the contract appropriately.
When does the contract take effect?
Immediately following the approval of the bargaining committee, the completion of information sessions held for any who wish to better understand the contract line by line, & a vote by the entire Local to officially ratify.
How long is a contract good for?
Contracts are typically good for and in force for a period of two to three years after ratification. This number can vary depending on the demands of the Local.
To be free, the workers must have choice. To have choice, they must retain in their own hands the right to determine under what conditions they will work.
​
Samuel Gompers
