Frequently Asked Questions
Forming a union changes the basic power relationship at work. Without a union, employers have almost all the rights. They can change your pay and working conditions at any time as long as they do not violate certain laws, like the minimum wage. Any benefits you receive are at the discretion of your employer.
Once you form a union, your employer cannot make changes in your working conditions unless they are negotiated with you as union members. Any benefits or working conditions covered by your contract are protected by law.
When you negotiate your contract, you and your co-workers decide what kinds of things could be improved at your work site and make proposals to your employer. Your employer is legally obligated to negotiate over most proposals that affect the quality of your work life. A union gives you strength in numbers to improve your pay, benefits, and working conditions.
How does SEIU Local 265 work?
Like all unions, SEIU Local 265 is made up of and run by its members. You elect your own committee for contract negotiations and vote to approve your contract. After you negotiate your contract, you elect your own stewards to help make sure your employer honors your contract.
The officers of our Local are also elected by the membership. Members discuss the issues that are important to our union at regular membership meetings.
“The union” is not made up of outsiders. You and your co-workers are the union. Union staff assist members in negotiating contracts, filing grievances, training stewards, and helping make workplaces better.
Do I have a legal right to form a union?
Almost all workers in California have the right to form a union.
However, if anyone is in any way discriminated against for forming a union, SEIU Local 265 will file charges with the National Labor Relations Board and will take other appropriate action.
How much are union dues? What are they for?
The dues rate is set by a membership vote. The dues rate for this local is $52 per month.
It takes money to run an organization, like a church, a club, or a union. Union dues pay for contract negotiation expenses, office and support services, legal services, union newsletters and other communications, training for stewards and members, and organizing.
How much is the initiation fee?
There is an initiation fee for SEIU Local 265 members. Contact your union representative for details.
Will everyone have to join?
Once a majority of employees at your employer have voted to form a union, all non-management cemetery and greenskeeping employees are required to become members and maintain their membership in good standing. The union is legally obligated to represent all members within the bargaining unit.
What will forming a union guarantee?
Forming a union can only guarantee one thing: when workers stick together we have more bargaining power than we do as scattered individuals.
After you vote to form a union, you — with the assistance of union staff — will negotiate a contract. Your employer must negotiate with you as unionized workers about wages, benefits and working conditions. The contract you negotiate will be legally binding on the employer. While there are no guarantees about what you choose to negotiate in your contract, you can see what other SEIU Local 265 members have negotiated by reviewing existing union contracts. Acting as a union, workers can make sure that the administration follows the contract.
What is a grievance procedure?
A grievance procedure is a method for solving employee complaints. Without a union contract, you can take your complaints to management, but management has the final say on whether to make improvements or correct a problem.
With a union contract, you have the help of a union steward (a co-worker you elect, who receives extra training from SEIU in filing grievances and enforcing your contract), to help you file a grievance. If your employer refuses to settle the complaint, the grievance will be heard by a neutral third-party arbitrator chosen by mutual agreement between our union and your employer. The employer and the union are legally bound to abide by the arbitrator’s decision.
If we form a union, does it mean that we can’t deal directly with our supervisor?
In a union setting, most problems are resolved directly between workers and their supervisors. A union steward is available to help, but only if a member requests that help because he/she has been unsatisfied with attempts to work something out directly with the employer.
In a non-union workplace, you can talk all you want with management — but management has the last word, take it or leave it.
When you are protected by a union contract, you can still talk all you want with management, but you don’t have to take “no” for an answer. Being part of a union gives you the right to effectively appeal unfair decisions and force your employer to correct unfair actions.
If we form a union, will we have to go on strike?
The decision to go on strike is very serious and occurs only when workers feel that they must take dramatic action to protect their rights, wages, and benefits. Members only go on strike if they vote overwhelmingly to do so. The decision about what to fight for and how hard to fight is always up to you, the union members.