BBE Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I be disciplined, discriminated against, or fired for being involved with a union? The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is a Federal law that protects private sector employee’s right to: attend meetings to discuss joining a union; wear union buttons, t-shirts, stickers, and hats; sign cards, petitions, and file grievances; read distribute and discuss union literature and ask other employees to support the union, when done in non-work areas on non-work times such as breaks. In addition to your NLRA protections, CWA and Avaya have negotiated a Neutrality Consent Election (NCE) agreement that allows workers to make decisions about unionization in an environment of neutrality. (See the NCE Summary document.)
Who decides what will be in the contract? You do! All BBE members will have the opportunity to give their input on what they would like to see in the contract. You will also elect a BBE worker to interact with CWA representatives to develop contract proposals based on worker input. The NCE agreement mandates that negotiations must commence within 60 days of the election, and once a contract has been tentatively agreed to, the entire membership will vote to accept or reject it.
How much will dues be? Your monthly dues will equal about 1.3% of your gross pay. (Bonuses and commissions are not included.) The amount of dues cannot be changed without membership approval. About 50% of your dues will be returned to your Local, and you won’t pay any dues at all until your contract is completed.
Who determines what happens in the union? The local members are the union. The BBE group will choose their own stewards and leaders to represent them. Members democratically vote on nearly every aspect of union activity including their leadership, strike authorizations, where and how money is spent, and whether to accept or reject a contract.
Aren’t unions really for blue collar and other lower paid workers?
Professional employees are increasingly losing control of their work life. At non-union worksites management makes all the decisions concerning the wages, benefits, and working conditions for professional employees. This is generating conflict between employees concerned about the delivery of their professional services, and human resource managers who appear more concerned with the bottom line. These professional employees are turning increasingly to unions to protect their interests. Today, roughly two-thirds of all unionized white-collar employees are professionals. Their level of unionization exceeds that of the workforce as a whole.
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