Frequently Asked Questions

We know forming a union at your workplace can raise a lot of questions.

From learning the basics of what a union is exactly to understanding how to negotiate a union contract, there’s a lot to learn! In this section, you can do your own research about common questions that arise about unions. 

Have a question not featured here? Click here to talk to a union organizer!

Table of Contents

What does a union do?

Why should I start a union?

Can anyone join a union? Who can unionize?

What is the NLRB?

What are the benefits of having a union?

What is a Union Local?

What is a union job? How do I get a union job?

What are union dues?

What is a Union?

We believe that one good job should be enough, that all jobs should have dignity. You deserve a living wage and benefits that guarantee the health and happiness of you and your family. 

We believe that companies and their management teams should treat you with respect and make your safety their priority. 

But employers don’t always share these beliefs — and when they don’t, it impacts everyone involved with your work from supervisors to customers. 

That’s where having a labor union helps. When you and your co-workers come together to form a union, you have the ability to hold your employer accountable and ensure they will respect your voice. 

After you and your employers sign the dotted line of a union contract, the things that matter most — like benefits packages, workplace safety & fairness — all become contract components they are legally required to provide you. 

A union is all of us, standing up for each other, making work better, and ensuring everybody gets what they need. 

(This is also why the UFCW also participates in food drives like Stamp Out Hunger, and toy drives to benefit local charities.) 

What does a union do?

The reason you start a union is to protect what you love about your job and to improve the things you don’t with a union contract, and a lot of what unions like UFCW do is make sure you win a strong contract and that you’re able to uphold it at work.

UFCW gives us representation every step of this process: starting with bringing in pros who know how to write great contract language and work with employers to get as much of what we want as we can out of this process. 

Once we win our contract, UFCW stays in our corner with service reps who stand up for us when our bosses violate the terms of that bargaining agreement. They also provide us with trainings to become shop stewards so we can stand up for each other in disputes. 

Our union also provides us with legal services, workplace trainings, and more so we can grow and take care of ourselves and each other, at work and in the rest of our lives.

Why should I start a union?

Where do we even start?! The guaranteed benefits, job security, the sense of community, the power to make a difference, the improved quality of life, the ability to turn your job into a career…we could go on and on! Did you know? Studies show that on average, union workers make 28% more money than non-union workers in the same industry. That’s the union difference! You can learn more about the union difference here.

Can anyone join a union? Who can unionize?

UFCW is a private sector union, meaning we represent workers who aren’t government employees — but if you are a government employee, we can also help direct you to the right place! The rules are simple: if two or more non-supervisory employees work at your company, and you don’t fall into one of these following categories, you have the right to form a union under the NLRA:

Employed by federal, state, or local government.
Employed as agricultural laborers.
Employed as a domestic worker 
Employed by a parent or spouse.
Employed as an independent contractor.
Employed as a supervisor who exercises hiring and firing power over others
Employed by an employer subject to the Railway Labor Act, such as railroads and airlines.

Even if you’re on this list, you may still be able to organize! Contact an organizer here to learn more.

As for who can join UFCW in particular? Our goal is to make work better for as many members as we can, and that’s why we represent people who work in industries ranging from grocery to food processing to cannabis. 

We’re also proud of the diversity of that workforce in those industries: UFCW’s membership is majority women, with age and racial diversity that reflects the many faces of working America. Our hardworking members reflect the kinds of people who keep our country going. 

Why did all of these people decide to start a union with UFCW? Some people joined because they wanted to secure better benefits or wages. Others wanted to make their workplace fairer and guarantee transparency. Whatever their reason, they still share a common goal: working together to make work better. 

What are the benefits of having a union?

Well, there’s a lot! Guaranteed raises, paid vacation and sick leave, healthcare plans, seniority rights, set pay scales, retirement plans and pensions, free college, exclusive discounts.

What’s more is one of the most fundamental union benefits: job security. When you have a union contract, you cannot be fired by your employer without ‘just cause’. We could go on, but don’t just take our word for it — check out these stories from our members on how they’ve made their work better with a union.

You can also learn more about how we help make work better here!

What is the NLRB?

Great question! Let’s go straight to the source:

The National Labor Relations Boards site states that “The NLRB is an independent federal agency enforcing the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees the right of most private sector employees to organize, to engage in group efforts to improve their wages and working conditions, to determine whether to have unions as their bargaining representative, to engage in collective bargaining, and to refrain from any of these activities. It acts to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices committed by private sector employers and unions.”

In short, they are a government agency with the authority to oversee the organizing, voting, and bargaining process and enforce federal labor law.

What is a Union Local?

UFCW is an international organization that represents over 1.2 million workers in the USA, Puerto Rico, and Canada. This gives power in numbers to workers all across North America, but most of the day-to-day experience you have in a union shop is with your union local. 

Think of the greater union you join as a tree and union locals as its branches. All of these parts make the whole union stronger and better equipped to take on workplace issues both big and small. The union local is this tree’s farthest-reaching limbs. At a local office, you can find union representatives who help you get the most out of your union membership. 

Local reps are your go-to people that help make our beliefs a reality. If you’re a UFCW member, you can check out our Local Locator to find out which locals are in your area. If you’re looking to start a union in your area, click here to get in touch with an organizer!

What is a union job? How do I get a union job?

A union job is one where you have all your benefits guaranteed by a contract AND a team of coworkers who have your back! 

Interested in getting a job at a UFCW shop? You can visit ufcwjobs.org to see listings in your area.

What are union dues?

Union dues are regular payments made by members to keep their union running and able to provide the services and benefits they need. You do not pay any dues until after you vote yes on your first union contract. 

If you and your coworkers don’t feel like our contract is worth more than our dues, then you can vote no and go back to the negotiating table. Ask yourself: Would you vote yes on a contract with worse pay and benefits than you have now? No! Of course not. 

Dues are how workers support their future selves and strengthen our union. When you contribute a little into a much larger UFCW dues pot, you resource yourself with organizers, negotiators, and legal support. This includes the organizing staff who help us create unions, the negotiators who support you in collective bargaining, and the local union staff who provide day-to-day representation. 

A portion of dues go into a strike fund so that if you and your coworkers decide you need to go on strike, you can supplement lost income while you fight for the contract you need. 

There’s a lot of misinformation about dues out there — but you can get the facts on dues and other anti-union talking points by checking out our union myth-busting series here!