What's a ​Union?

/ˈyo͞onyən/

A union is simply an employee organization - protected by law - of a group of workers who join together to improve and guarantee their wages, benefits, and working conditions. A union gives employees a way to achieve respect and fairness on the job and a stronger voice to impact employer decisions. By joining together, employees have far more power to make positive changes and gain protections in their workplace than they'd have doing so individually or with a just a few coworkers.

Without a union, employers have 100% control over decisions that directly impact your life.  

What unions do

Union members work together to negotiate and enforce a contract with management that guarantees the things you care about like decent raises, affordable health care, job security, and a stable schedule. AFL-CIO

​Unions advocate for:
  • wages and benefits that keep up with the cost of living
  • consistent schedules and no mandatory overtime
  • flexible schedules, like a four-day work week or working from home
  • family-friendly work environments and time off to care for family or attend school events
  • paid vacation you can actually take without feeling guilty or overwhelmed when you return
  • student loan repayment and scholarships
  • job training programs for career mobility
  • reimbursements for fitness club memberships and other wellness benefits​​

What unions don't do

There's a lot of anti-union propaganda out there about what unions don't do. Let us dispel the myths. Unions don't:
  • protect low-performers. Unions agree to performance standards that employees must follow. The difference is that in a unionized workplace, employees who need a bit more help aren't immediately fired. They have an opportunity to improve themselves. 
  • harm the employer. This myth never made sense to us: If the employer is hurt, so are the employees. 
  • work without their members. Unions are inherently democratic. Decisions made for employees at a workplace are made by the employees at that workplace. It's that simple.   

Unionized vs. non-unionized workplaces

A Voice On the Job
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Wages

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Benefits
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Promotions & Hiring Practices
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Unfair Treatment & Job Protection


Working Conditions


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Protections & Guarantees
Unionized workplace
Only union members enjoy the legal right and power to have a say on the job.
​Pay rates are negotiated to ensure fairness for everyone and protected in the union contract. Seniority is recognized. 
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​Protected by the contract. Changes can only be made with employee approval.
​Awarded fairly according to the process agreed to in the union contract.
​Employees have a protected way to challenge any unfair or questionable treatment with support and representation from their union. Just cause standards are applied with binding arbitration if the parties can't agree.
​Schedules, vacations, workload, subcontracting, work standards, layoff procedures, hours of work are all agreed to between workers and the employer and protected in the contract.
​Only union workers enjoy a legally-binding written agreement with their employer that defines, protects, and guarantees all terms of employment.
Non-unionized workplace
​Management has exclusive control and decision making power.
Management alone decides what's fair pay and can base any raises on business needs, favoritism or anything else.
​Can be taken away or changed at any time.
​It's up to management.
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​You're on your own. Any grievance process gives management the last word.

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​Management decides what's best for employees.

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​Nonunion workers have no guarantees and no protections.

Workers' Bill of Rights

At the 2017 AFL-CIO Convention, delegates passed a resolution calling for the creation of a Workers' Bill of Rights. President Richard Trumka framed it as a collective bargaining agreement for America.
Here are the key components of the Workers' Bill of Rights:
  • A Good Job with Fair Wages: Everyone who wants to work has the right to a good job where we earn a fair return on our work and receive a wage that allows us to support ourselves and our families.
  • Quality Health Care: Regardless of income, job or a pre-existing condition.
  • A Safe Job: Free from harassment and violence.
  • Paid Time Off and Flexible Scheduling
  • Freedom from Discrimination: In hiring, firing and promotions.
  • Retire with Dignity: And financial security.
  • Education: Public K-12, higher education and career training that advances our knowledge and skills without leaving us in debt.
  • Freedom to Join Together: To negotiate with our co-workers for better wages and working conditions, whether we are in a union or not.
  • A Voice in Democracy: To freely exercise our democratic voice through voting and civic participation so that we can make sure our government stands up for this Workers’ Bill of Rights.


Why form a union with OPEIU Local 2?

Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) was chartered in 1945 and with over 125,000 strong, we’re one of the larger unions of the AFL-CIO. OPEIU has local unions throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and the District of Columbia. You are not alone when you join with OPEIU. 
              
OPEIU members work in many settings as varied as banking and credit unions, insurance, higher education, shipping, hospitals, nursing homes, medical clinics, social services, utilities, transportation, manufacturing, hotels, offices and more. 
           
Professional organizations and guilds affiliated with the OPEIU are a diverse group which includes physicians, optometrists, pharmacists, chiropractors, appraisers, podiatrists, clinical social workers, administrative, customer service, bus and rail transport, security services, biofeedback practitioners, acupuncturists, hypnotists and helicopter pilots. Affiliation with the OPEIU has given these groups more legislative clout and greater access to people who need their services.

Within OPEIU, Local 2 has seven staff representatives and four administrative staff to support you and your coworkers. Local 2 represents approximately 8,000 members in 130+ workplaces in the DMV area.