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What rights/protections do I have if I’m starting a union?

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Jim’s Answer

You are afforded protections that were seminally instituted with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), passed in 1935. Among those are the right to organize and join unions, collectively bargain (essentially, bargain with management about terms and conditions of employment on behalf of a represented employee population), and be protected from unfair labor practices ("ULPs") ... without fear of retaliation. There is much more to this act (and subsequent/related case law/legislation, including the proper way to organize), but I'm not an attorney -- so if you want legal advice, I suggest you seek out a labor attorney (yes, there are lawyers who specialize in this field).

I will also note that companies/management also have protections from bad actions by labor unions, afforded by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

Generally speaking, companies who treat their employees well and provide good pay and benefits (totally subjective, of course, but this yardstick does differ based on the size of the company, jobs covered, and myriad other factors) do not see as much union activity. Employees may organize when management:
- demonstrates a lack of respect and dignity for employees
- fails to listen to employee concerns
- becomes unresponsive to legitimate concerns
or when:
- communication up and down the company is inadequate
- reorganization efforts have resulted in job insecurity
- employees lack knowledge about wages and benefits, or those are not competitive
- staffing shortages create stressful competition and anxiety

This is a broad topic, highly regulated, and full of passionate opinions on both sides. If you wish to pursue further, I recommend that you get expert advice so you follow the right steps. Good luck!
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TRAVIS’s Answer

Unions are generally a good thing. You normally get better benefits and your pay will increase overtime. You also get union protection for HR issues.
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Amalya’s Answer

Fortunately, starting a union not only brings challenging obligations, but also rights and protection policy.
Some of the basic rights of starting a union are: Being chosen as a union president by election
Using signed union-authorization cards
Creating all the necessary regulations, including the Terms and Conditions, and so on.
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