ABOUT UNIONS

A union is a legally-recognized way for workers to band together and improve their jobs.

People across all job sectors can form unions.

When workers form a union, their employer is obligated under federal law to negotiate wages, hours and conditions of employment with representatives the workers designate.

The idea that workers should have the right to organize a union through a fair process, free of employer intimidation and threat. Mother’s Market workers are calling on the company to remain neutral.

Joining together with your co-workers to organize a union is a fundamental right recognized in U.S. law. It’s even affirmed in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  

That said, employers usually oppose working people’s efforts to organize by failing to honor these rights of workers. That’s because employers would prefer to have all of the power in the employment relationship.

Under the National Labor Relations Act, you have the right to:

• Join a union.

• Talk to your co-workers about joining a union.

• Pass out literature about joining a union (in non-work areas during non-work times).

• Sign up your co-workers on petitions in non-work areas and during non-work times.

• Join with your co-workers for the purpose of forming a union.

• Join with your co-workers for the purpose of improving working conditions in your place of employment.

If an employer fails to  honor workers’ rights, those same federal laws give workers and unions the right to take action to convince or force  employers to allow workers to freely organize. These actions include:

• Marches on managers

• Delivering petitions/letters to bosses

• Handbilling

• Criticizing the employer in media, including social media, or use social media to appeal for public or community support for the workers’ activity

• Showing unity by wearing stickers or other union insignia

• Boycotts

• Strikes

These laws also protect workers who attempt to involve the community or elected officials to support the workers by asking them to:

• Sign petitions

• Mail or deliver letters

• Speak with company officials

• Attend rallies

Finally, those laws also protect you in asking customers to:

• Sign petitions

• Deliver handbills or oral messages to managers

• Boycott the employer

In addition to the right to organize a union, you have the right to payment of wages (FLSA + CA wage payment collection law), a safe workplace free from hazards (OSHA + CA workplace/occupational health and safety law), time off for personal or family medical reasons (FMLA + any applicable CA law), workplace accommodations for disabilities (ADA + any applicable CA law), among many other worker and civil rights. 

Talk to your committee leaders if you think your rights have been violated.

When taking actions, we shall remain peaceful. Workers should stay orderly and not disrupt the employer’s operations. The point of the protest or action is to communicate a message to the employer, the general public or customers. Convincing large numbers of allies to convey messages to the employer is more likely to convince employers to honor worker rights, than acts of violence, destruction of property or disruption. And, violence,  property destruction and disruption can give police or the courts the excuse to shut down our actions.

We are the union. And we are building trust and power with our co-workers in Mother’s Market stores across Southern California.

Watch this video to understand how we organize, and get a taste of the transformational experience possible when we come together.

When working people organize, power gets nervous. 

We’re calling for a fair process to organize. That means, we don’t want the Mother’s Market to hire union-busting lawyers to undermine our voice and our rights. Instead, we want Mother’s to agree to remain neutral.

How can union-busting show up at your workplace?

Management might use “sticks” to say “don’t join a union,” like… 

• Captive-Audience Meetings (you’re pulled into closed door meetings)

• Questioning 

• New intimidating people in your workplace 

• Posters showing up in the breakroom with misleading information

• Divide to conquer tactics 

Management also might try “carrots“ to say “you don’t need a union, we love you!” This shows up with events like…

• Pizza parties

• Better schedules