Per the union’s Bylaws (which you can read by clicking HERE), members have a say about every aspect of how the union is run — electing the Officers, rank-and-file Executive Board, and workplace delegates, voting on any proposed changes to the Bylaws, and attending union meetings to help set policy for the union.   Members make all the decisions about our own union contracts that we negotiate with management – choosing a negotiating committee of our co-workers, and voting on all final agreements before they take effect.

“The union is strongest when members understand that WE ARE THE UNION, and we make all of the decisions about how the union is run,” says PERSON from WORKSITE.  [ADD PHOTO]  “And we all pay dues so that our union has the resources that we need in order to WIN.”

Just like a church, a PTA, or a neighborhood group, our members contribute so that together we have the resources that we need to carry out our programs and priorities – from contract negotiations and grievances, to delegate trainings, to helping new workers unite with us.  Just like the union’s by-laws, members set the dues levels, and dues cannot be changed unless members vote to do so via secret ballot.

Our union is a non-profit organization. Each year, all members receive a financial report outlining income and expenses.  Unlike many other non-profits, who get part of their funding from grants from big corporations and foundations, all of our income comes from our members.  That means there is only one voice that matters when it comes to running the union: YOURS.