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Organizing:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: Is it legal to
organize? |
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A:
Yes! Under Section 7 of the
National Labor Relations Act of 1947 (NLRA), all
workers have "the right to self-organization, to
form, to join, or assist labor organizations."
Furthermore, the same act states that employers
are not allowed to "interfere with, restrain, or
coerce employees in the exercise of the rights
guaranteed in Section 7. |
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Q: How do I know
that my employer won't retaliate if I join CWA? |
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A:
First of all, your membership is known only to
you until you decide to tell other people. We
share no lists outside the organization. If you
do choose to publicly declare your membership or
your involvement with CWA, you are protected
under federal labor law from any retaliation
from your employer.
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Q: What are the
basic guidelines of our rights to organize at
work? |
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A:
Discussing CWA is one of your fundamental rights
under Section 8 of the NLRA. The Supreme Court
has stated: "No restrictions may be placed on
the employees' right to discuss
self-organization among themselves, unless the
employer can demonstrate that such a restriction
is necessary to maintain production or
discipline."
While it should not interfere with work
performance, Organizing activity cannot be
treated differently than any other non-work
related activity. If you are permitted to talk
to co-workers about other activities (Girl Scout
cookies, the Suns, etc, you can also discuss CWA
Organizing. A reasonable guideline might be to
talk about CWA during your breaks and free-time.
Although laws protecting our right to organize
are quite clear, many people still fear
retaliation. |
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Q: Can I discuss how
much I make with my co-workers? |
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A:
Discussing your compensation is one of the
fundamental rights under the National Labor
Relations Act of 1947. Labor courts have said,
"It is essential for the full exercise of those
rights that employees be able to discuss wages. |
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Q: Can I distribute
CWA literature among my co-workers? |
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A:
This issue is similar to talking about CWA. The
National Labor Relations Board suggests
distributing literature during breaks and
free-time and posting literature in non-work
areas. For example, posting a CWA flyer on a
company bulletin board and giving brochures to
your co-workers during lunch are okay. |
Q: Can I discuss CWA
with my co-workers on company e-mail?
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A:
As a guideline, if it is okay to discuss other
personal business such as the Suns or weekend
plans using company e-mail, then it is okay to
discuss CWA. If your company does have an e-mail
policy in place stating that e-mail is company
property and only can be used for company
business, it cannot selectively enforce this
policy when labor issues are discussed. A
company must uniformly enforce its policies. |
