Dues & Assessments

Company:  “You can't afford to Pay Union Dues.”

Your Employer may do these things:

Give you two pay checks. One of which is a phony check with dues taken out.

Pass out a mock check to show how much the dues are each year.

Bring in bags of groceries with a total on it, and say this is what you could buy with the money you spend on Union Dues.

FACT:  You can't afford not to have a Union.

Union workers do much better than non-union workers about one-third on the average. By all employees of a particular company joining together, you can improve the wages of everyone at the company.

The fact is union dues on the average are equal to a couple of hours' work per month.  That's a very small price to pay to win the difference between non-union and union wages.

Company: “The UNION is only interested in Your money.”

The company may give you “Documentation” or newspaper clippings supposedly showing the IBEW is losing money and, therefore, needs your money to survive.

FACT: The IBEW is one of the most financially secure Unions in the World.

The IBEW has lost some members but this is due mostly to manufacturing plant closings, such as Zenith which moved to Mexico. Management moves jobs, not unions.

Current IBEW members want to help other workers organize because every time we get a contract for a new group, it puts pressure on the employer to raise everyone's wages.

Our financial reports as governed by Federal Law (Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, As Amended), detailing our strong financial position, is available for inspection by any member.

Company: “The UNION needs your money to give its officers fat salaries.”

You may see copies of the IBEW Annual Report showing salaries and expenses.

FACT: They will not tell you about the outrageous salaries of your employer's top officers.

The company doesn't want you to see what they make; so you can't see their annual reports. Fact is, without YOU, they wouldn't have any money for themselves and that's why they want to stop you from having a Union so managers can keep more money for their own pockets. The IBEW will match W-2 forms with company officials and consultants, POSITION for POSITION.

Company: “The Union Officials can raise your dues or charge you assessments anytime they want.”

Only Local Union members and elected convention delegates can vote in a democratic manner to change the dues. This is protected by the IBEW Constitution and Local Union By-laws, and FEDERAL LAW (Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, As Amended).

About Strikes

Company: “Unions Love to Strike”

Companies talk as if the Union's whole purpose is to call strikes.

FACT:  Workers Join the IBEW to improve their life, not to Strike.

Among all U.S. unions, fewer than 2 percent of new contracts involve a strike, and in fact, the IBEW has a record better than most in getting good contracts without the need for a strike.

Company: “The IBEW can force you to Strike.”

The company may suggest that the IBEW will cause you to strike or to support someone else's strike.

FACT:  The IBEW never Authorizes or causes a Strike unless it is overwhelmingly supported by the workers that are directly involved.

Further, no Union official or any International official can order any Strike. Only the members can decide by “SECRET BALLOT” Vote to go on strike if they feel the company is being unfair or unreasonable.

Almost all IBEW agreements contain NO-Strike clauses during the term of the agreements, and disputes are settled by binding arbitration when agreed to by both parties, the company and the union. Persons of good faith and character can always work out their differences if they really want to.

About Union Control Over You

Company: “The Union will fine you for misbehavior.”

Your employer will cite the IBEW Constitution and have you believe the Union will punish you for any number of things.

FACT:  You only have to look at the history of the Union.

Before you believe the company hype, check the record of the local union's in the area. There are regulations in the IBEW Constitution, just as there are regulation in any organization, including schools, churches, sportsmen's clubs, and even the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. As a matter of fact, federal Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 protects members against improper fines.  What could be fairer than that?

Company: “By signing a card or voting yes, you sign your life away.”

The Union bosses, you will be told, will dominate you.

FACT:  By signing an authorization card, you are merely saying that you want representation. Just read the card.

Your employer has a large group of advisors including lawyers and other professionals who wouldn't think of working for that company without a written contract.  If it's good for them, why isn't it good for you to have the terms of your employment spelled out in a union contract?

Company: “The IBEW will take away your right to talk to management.”

You will hear that the Union will do all your talking for you, and you won't be able to see management on your own without a problem, anymore, if the Union gets in.

FACT:  You would still have the same rights as you do now, to discuss anything with management.

With a Union, however, if management will not address your problems, you have the full force of your contract behind you, enforced by arbitration and the courts, if necessary. All with your own representatives to assist you. Note that management does not mention the fact that if you have a union you can request a steward to be present if management tries to discipline you (Weingarten Rights).

Company: “The Union will decide who gets laid off and who gets what jobs.”

The company may suggest that some far-off Union official decides these matters and will play favorites.

FACT:  The workers decide what is the fairest way to handle matters.

Providing the company is fair and negotiates in good faith, nearly all matters can be handled fairly, and it is the workers' own elected committee that will develop proposals and then bring back a tentative agreement to the workers to either accept or reject.

Promises & Threats

Company: “The company may suggest that even if you vote the Union in, it won't do you any good.”

They will suggest that they will bargain, but not agree with the Union's proposals and, therefore, you will never get an agreement.

FACT:  Do you think for one minute that any company simply just gives in to the Union.

Many very big companies, like Florida Power & Light, Tennessee Valley Authority, General Electric, AT&T, to name but a few have all negotiated very good agreements with the IBEW, not because they wanted to, but because the process works. And it will work for you too. Telling you that you can do nothing and a union will not help you is a violation of the federal labor law, Sec 8(a)(1).

Company: “You may lose what you already have.”

They will suggest that you could get increases, that you could stay the same, or that you could end up with less.

They will suggest that you get a Union guarantee that you won't lose anything.

FACT:  IBEW members all over the USA and Canada, get better working conditions, wages, and benefits, not worse.

Would the IBEW have continued to exist for over 107 years if they made things worse for workers? Of course not.

The fact is the company will not guarantee you anything. A bonafide Union Agreement is the best guarantee you will ever have at work.

The day a majority of the workers vote “UNION YES,” is the day the company can no longer change anything unless the workers agree. After your Union is “certified” by the NLRB, the company is prohibited from modifying any conditions of employment except through joint negotiations. Of course, they won't admit this, but that is the LAW (NLRA, Section 8(a)(5)).

If the company really believes that they can get by cheaper with the Union, WHY are they fighting it so hard.

Company: “We won't be One Big Happy Family anymore if the Union gets in.”

The company will suggest that they won't be able to be flexible anymore or do nice things for the employees.

They may even make several changes now to sway your vote.

FACT:  Unionized workers and management of all kinds get along just fine with the Unions.

In fact, the IBEW is known as pioneers in many of the cooperative initiatives that are a model of smart Labor-Management cooperation today.

Even if management makes changes now, without a “YES” vote, they can change their mind again at any time after the vote. To lock them in, you need to vote “YES.”

Company: “Give us another chance.”

They will promise to do better by you if they can just avoid interference by the Union. But it's only the upcoming union election that brings out those promises, all of which will be forgotten if there is no union.

FACT:  A Union Contract is your only real guarantee.

If your employer is truly willing to make all these promises, they should be willing to negotiate a FAIR contract after you vote “YES.” They should be willing to PUT IT IN WRITING.

Some workers have listened to management's promises only to find out, the hard way, that most promises are forgotten after the Union is no longer a threat to the company's power.