A Voice On The Job

Union contracts provide workers with security—the security of job protections, fair wages, health care benefits, paid time off and the chance to retire with dignity. A contract also gives workers an avenue to address disagreements with their boss—typically through a spelled-out grievance procedure.

Being a USW member means having a union contract that sets the rules of your employment. These rules can include topics such as wages and the schedule for pay increases, health care benefits and retirement plans, and issues like health and safety, overtime, vacation, sick leave and scheduling.

Before bargaining a contract, USW members elect a bargaining committee from among their fellow workers to represent them at the negotiating table, where they lay out their own proposals for what they think the contract should include. Management does the same and, in most cases, the two sides come to an agreement that meets somewhere in the middle. Then, members typically vote on whether to accept the agreement or go back to the table and continue with negotiations.

Union contracts can include any number of provisions governing wages, benefits, and working conditions. Typically, they also include a grievance procedure, which spells out the process for dealing with disagreements between workers and the boss about the contract’s meaning.

These disputes can be about issues like wages and benefits, or in response to disciplinary action or dismissals of union workers initiated by management. The grievance process gives members a powerful voice in dealing with disputes on the job and is one of the most important aspects of union membership.

A union contract ensures workers also have a voice on the job beyond the bargaining table. Many local union contracts, for example, establish joint union-management health and safety committees, providing opportunities for workers and management to meet on equal footing to resolve crucial workplace health and safety issues.

Locals can also negotiate commitments from management to discuss other important topics including training opportunities, civil rights, health insurance costs, public policy, creation of new jobs as well as general concerns.

Many union contracts establish a regular schedule for labor-management meetings, which give workers a chance to address their concerns about working conditions and other issues before they reach the level of a grievance. These meetings can help to address issues such as scheduling, pay discrepancies or promotional opportunities. Having regular meetings where members can voice their concerns helps to build stable labor-management relations and ensure workers have a strong say in what happens on the job.