Unions: Working people standing together

(Sept. 7, 2016) — The video above — produced by the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO for its new website WorkingPeopleStandingTogether.com — explains what unions are and why they are so necessary today.

When workers have a union, they have a voice on the job. Working together, they negotiate good wages and working conditions so they can provide a better life for their families. Union members have higher wages, greater job stability, retirement security, and access to quality healthcare for their families. It is no wonder that 57 million Americans who are not union members say they want to be part of one.

People who work for a living know about the inequality of power between employers and employees. Workers want to form unions counter-balance the unchecked power of employers. With a union, working people win basic rights, like a say in their jobs, safety and security. Unions help remedy discrimination because union contracts ensure that all workers are treated fairly and equally. When there’s a problem on the job, workers and management can work together as equals to solve it.

If you live in Washington state and want to learn more about forming a union, visit the Washington State Labor Council website, where you can sign up to have a union organizer contact you with more information. Union organizers assist employees in forming unions on the job to give them the same opportunity for dignity and respect, good wages and decent working conditions that union members already have.

If you don’t have a union at your job, learn more about how to organize one. Today’s economy is so out of balance — with all the economic gains going to the top — more and more people are looking into joining unions so they can share in the prosperity their work creates. You can be one of them!