Below are some commonly asked questions and commonly held
misperceptions about what this whole process entails.
So they want to bring in a union.
This statement is a misperception.
We are the ones who
constitute our Union. We are the ones who determine which issues
are to be negotiated, and we are the ones who ratify our Collective
Bargaining Agreement.
Who are we asking to help us?
Aside from asking us, your coworkers, for help,
we are asking the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) to assist us.
TWU Dealers Local 721 is a part of AFL-CIO.
What if
our representatives negotiate us a bad Contract?
We can choose NOT to ratify the contract. If we are not happy with
a good Collective Bargaining Agreement, we are not stuck with it.
By becoming a Union, it will just be putting somebody there who will
be getting in between us and management.
In between us? The Union is OUR voice!
They just want my money.
NO. Within the state laws of Nevada exists a
condition commonly referred to as “right to work.” What this means, in
terms of Union membership, is that all employees are covered under the
same Collective Bargaining Agreement as the rest of their coworkers. The
representatives from TWU are so confident in their ability to
successfully negotiate contracts that they are willing to do so without
requiring us to pay for the contract that protects us.
Union guys get rich off of our sweat.
NO. It is the executives of MGM - Mirage who
have been getting rich on our backs. If upper management feels that we
have a legitimate chance of getting a better stake in the success of our
company, they will be bringing in their own representatives, in addition
to the current staff that they have, to try to keep everything that’s
been taken from us for themselves.
We are inviting in an organization with an
understanding of how to help us speak for ourselves at the bargaining
table. The
Organizers of TWU are
here to help us with administrative and legal issues, much the same way
that the Mirage hires its own lawyers and accountants.
This won’t accomplish anything.
Unfortunately, if there are enough people with
this attitude, this will be the case.
The Mirage is gonna do what they’re gonna do.
Yes, if you continue to choose to allow your
employer to make all of the decisions without your consent.
NO, if you decide to help us form our Union.
Of course, they’ll continue doing whatever they feel like doing, so long
as we do not have a contract which prevents them from doing so.
This will solve all of our problems.
NO. This is to help level the playing field.
The Mirage uses its money to make more money, whether it involves
investing in marketing, acquiring new properties, or determining issues
that affect workers without their consent.
I will get in trouble if I sign the card.
NO. You will be sending your card to the
people who want to represent us. Your information is between you,
TWU, and the
National Labor Relations Board.
Your employer has no access to who signed their cards or how individuals
voted - unless, of course, the vote is unanimous.
From
TWU's literature:
Why Join TWU?
Non-union workers today have little or no say over their wages and
benefits. Nor do they have input into what goes on in their
workplace. They watch as management awards themselves high
salaries, unending perks and golden parachutes, while those who actually
make the company successful, the workers, see their wages and benefits
stagnate or reduced.
With TWU, this will change. You will
have a real say over your own destiny and the future of your company.
When do we begin paying dues?
Dues payment does not begin until a contract is negotiated and
ratified by the members. The dues are not retroactive.
How is the outcome determined?
In order
to have a Union, a majority of those voting must vote for the union in
order to be certified as your collective bargaining agent.
