The New York City District - Council of Carpenters

Mandatory Union Activity
Program Daily Options

RAT OF THE WEEK

The Organizing Department of the New York City District Council of Carpenters and Joiners of America is guided by the simple principle that every worker in our trades, in our jurisdiction, must be treated with dignity and respect.

Carpenters came together over one-hundred twenty years ago with a vision of a better life for workers and a more fair society. Any employer that exploits labor and denies workers their fundamental right of representation in the workplace is a threat to all of us.

Today we continue to organize. The Organizing Department educates, agitates and organizes workers everyday into demanding better working conditions. We confront the employer where their profit is made, at the workplace, and bring together his workers. We teach them how to win and stand with them throughout their struggle for justice.

We win organizing drives through the participation and determination of our members, strong research and aggressive tactics. When we are engaged in a campaign we use every resource we have to win. If the contractor chooses to fight us and deny his workers their rights, we will bring pressure on him from every angle. We will build community and political coalitions that will push him to respect our union. We will expose him by informing the public about his unethical business practices. We will petition his bank, his suppliers and even talk to his neighbors. Those who exploit workers in our trades are more than just our competition; they are the very worst in our society.

Organizing is the pursuit of justice using the strength of unity. It is energizing the courage of a worker to strike, to picket and to defy the person holding their paycheck. It is infiltrating the workplace, running secret meetings, using political and community support and challenging the employer. Organizing creates market share, control of the industry and ultimately better working conditions for each and every member of our District Council. There is no question that our ability to organize will determine the future of our Union.

The American Dream is a product of those workers that fought for it. We continue to fight for those principles. The Organizing Department is where our union faces off against our competition. To win every member of our union must participate to defend our gains and stand together with exploited workers. Where there is abuse at the workplace, we will be there to fight it!

Organize Against Anti-Union Practices

35 Things Your Employer CANNOT DO

It is unlawful for your employer, supervisor or foreman to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees seeking to organize or join a union.

THE EMPLOYER CANNOT:

1. Engage in open or undercover surveillance of employees' union organizing activities, or give the impression that the employees are under surveillance (such as sending supervisors to spy on union meetings, watching the union hall, encouraging other employees to engage in surveillance).

2. Tell employees that the company will fire or punish them if they engage in union activity.

3. It is unlawful for your employer, supervisor or foreman to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees seeking to organize or join a union.

4. Grant employees wage increases, special concessions or benefits in order to keep the union out.

5. Bar employee-union representatives from soliciting employees' memberships on or off the company property during non-working hours.

6. Ask employees about union matters, meetings, etc. (some employees may, of their own accord, walk up and tell of such matters. It is not an unfair labor practice to listen, but to ask questions to obtain additional information is illegal).

7. Ask employees what they think about the union or a union representative.

8. Ask employees how they intend to vote.

9. Threaten employees with reprisal for participating in union activities. For example, threaten to move the plant or close the business, curtail operations or reduce employee benefits.

10. Promise benefits if they reject the union.

11. Form a "company union," dominate or give financial support or other assistance to a union.

12. Announce that the company will not deal with the union.

13. Threaten to close, in fact close, or move plant in order to avoid dealing with a union.

14. Ask employees whether or not they belong to a union, or have signed up for union representation.

15. Ask an employee, during the hiring interview, about his affiliation with a labor organization or how he feels about unions.

16. Make anti-union statements or act in a way that might show preference for a non-union worker

17. Make distinctions between union and non-union employees when assigning overtime work or desirable work.

18. Purposely team up non-union workers and keep them apart from those supporting the union.

19. Transfer workers on the basis of union affiliation or activities.

20. Choose employees to be laid off in order to weaken the union's strength or discourage membership in the union.

21. Discriminate against union people when disciplining employees.

22. By nature of work assignments, create conditions intended to get rid of an employee because of their union activity.

23. Fail to grant a scheduled benefit or wage increase because of union activity.

24. Deviate from company policy for the purpose of getting rid of a union supporter.

25. Take action that adversely affects an employee's job or pay because of union activity.

26. Threaten workers or coerce them in an attempt to influence their vote.

27. Threaten a union member through a third party.

28. Promise employees a reward (and premium pay) will be discounted if the plant is unionized.

29. Tell employees overtime work (and premium pay) will be discounted if the plant is unionized

30. Say unionization will force the company to lay off employees.

31. Say unionization will do away with vacations, or other benefits and privileges presently in effect.

32. Promise employees promotions, raises or other benefits if they get out of the union or refrain from joining the union.

33. Start a petition or circular against the union or encourage or take part in its circulation if started by employees.

34. Urge employees to try to induce others to oppose the union or keep out of it.

35. Visit the homes of the employees to urge them to reject the union.

Any of the acts listed above may constitute a violation of the National Relations Act, as amended.

You have rights and protection under the National Labor Relations Act. If your employer does any of the things listed above, make a note of it, including names of those involved, time, place, etc. and report such incidents to your union.

Union Picket Policy

Loyal Union Members Respect Picket Lines

A loyal union member is extremely careful when confronted with a picket line situation.

When a picket line is established on a job where a member is working:

1. A member leaves. S/he does not talk - just leaves.

2. A member reads the picket sign as s/he leaves.

3. A member does not hang around near the job.

4. A member knows that once a picket line is established, the Business Agent and other Union officials are legally gagged and handcuffed from giving advice pertaining to that job. They can only tell the member if the picket line is authorized.

5. S/he does not allow himself or herself to be drawn into conversation with anyone at the job site.

Loyal Union Members Know Their Rights

1. A member has the right not to work behind any picket line.

2. A member has the right to decide for her/himself whether to walk off a job being picketed.

3. A member understands that her/his trade may be under attack next.

How You Can Organize Your Company

Here is a list of things you can do to help yourself and the Carpenters Union

1. Call the Union (212) 366-3311 and submit the below form.
2. Sign a bargaining card with the Union.
3. Get your co-workers to do the same.
4. Form an organizing committee among your crew.
5. Keep a daily log of your hours, work performed and any changes in the amount of work you get and your bosses' attitude towards your work performance.
6. Report your progress and strength on the job to the Organizer.
7. Let the Organizer do the negotiating.
8. Keep the Organizer informed of your job-site locations.
9. Volunteer to speak to other carpenters on other jobs about our organizing efforts.
10. Read about the labor movement.

ORGANIZING CONTACT FORM

YES, I need a Union at my workplace!

Please take a few moments to answer the following questions and we will
follow up as soon as possible.

Report Non Union Jobs

It's Your RIGHT To Have A Union!

The Right to Join a Union is Protected by the United States Government.

YOUR RIGHTS

Section 7 of the National Labor Act guarantees employees the right to organize and bargain collectively with their employer.

YOUR PROTECTION

To enforce Section 7 rights, Federal Law makes certain employer conduct illegal. The following are unfair labor practices for an employer to engage in.

To interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7.
To form or control a labor organization as a "company union".
To discriminate against any employee in hiring, firing or conditions of employment or to encourage or discourage membership.
To discriminate against an employee for filing unfair labor practice charges to giving testimony in an NLRB proceeding.
To refuse to bargain collectively with the union which represents the majority of his employees.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

You and your fellow employees have the free choice and legal right to work as a team, and to help organize, join and support a union. This includes the legal right to sign a union card, solicit fellow employees to sign cads, attend union meetings, wear union insignia, talk union and distribute union literature. However, such union activities must not be exercised during working hours or in work areas. (For this purpose lunch time and break time are not considered working time.)

The employer breaks the law if he interferes with organizing activities by interrogation, surveillance of union meetings or any other methods. The employer can not threaten or penalize any employee in any manner because he supports the union, or promise or give him increased benefits or promotions to stop supporting the union.

If an employer improperly discharges, suspends or demotes an employee for union activity, the employee can obtain reinstatement without loss of seniority, and with back pay plus 6% interest.

An employer has a legal duty to bargain with the union as exclusive representative of all employees in the group, once the union is selected by a majority of employees.

The employees may rely upon the group strength and action of the union in dealing with the employer, and the employer is not allowed to negotiate with the employees individually once the union's majority status is established. Moreover, the employer cannot unilaterally take any existing benefits; he must negotiate with the union on all benefits and employment conditions.

The National Labor Relations Board, and agency of the federal government, exists to protect your rights against these or any other violations of the law by employers.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Some employers have no respect for the law and try to rob their employees of their right to have a union by illegally interfering with their organizing activities. You can help prevent this from happening in your plant in the following manner.

If any company official or supervisor talks to you about the union and:

a. Asks any questions
b. Makes any promises
c. Makes any threats

This is what you should do:
1. Remember exactly what was said and write it down the very first chance you have. Put it in writing the same day that it happens. This is very important!

2. Make a note of what was said, who said it, where the conversation took place and who was present. Be sure to add the time of day and the date. Write down everything you can remember.

3. Give this information to your union representative as soon as possible.

Union Activity Daily Options

Mandatory Union Activities

Occupation
Employer Name
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I work: Full Time Part Time
My workplace needs a Union because of these issues:
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Type of Construction		Commercial
		Residential
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More than 21,000 skilled carpenters, millwrights, dockbuilders, timbermen, cabinetmakers, and floorcoverers building the future of organized labor.