Q. What are our rights? Can I get in trouble for supporting the union?
A.You can do all the following things at work – it is guaranteed by federal law:
Talk About the Union – You can talk about the union on company property, in the store and on work time as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work. Any time you can talk about other topics like sports, movies, recipes or whatever – you can talk about the union as well.
Sign Union Cards – You can sign up other associates at work before and after work and during all breaks in all non-work areas (i.e. break rooms, smoke areas, lunch rooms). So to sign up another associate, you have to be on a break (including paid breaks) and off the floor, but you can do it at work.
Distribute Union Literature – You can distribute union literature in the same way you can sign union cards. You can do it when you are on a break (including paid breaks), before or after work and in non-work areas.
It is also important to remember all the things that management can not do during a union campaign:
Discipline or Change Conditions – Management can not threaten, suspend, reprimand or fire you for supporting a union and exercising your rights. They also can not change or reduce your hours or treat you differently in any way because you support the union.
Ask Questions About the Union – Management can not ask you your opinion of the union or ask you any information about union activities (i.e. who else is supporting it, where are the meetings, what’s going on, what do you think about it?).
Interfere with Your Rights – Management can not try to prevent you from exercising your rights. They can not tell you not to talk about the union at work or not to sign union cards at work.
Bribes – Management can not offer you any raises or other improvements in order to influence your support for the union.
