Federal and state laws guarantee the right to form unions! Eligible employees* have the right to express their views on unions, to talk with their co-workers about their interest in forming a union, to wear union buttons, to attend union meetings and in many other ways to exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association.

Despite these laws, many employers strongly resist their employees’ efforts to gain a voice at work through unionization. So, before you start talking union where you work, get in touch with a union that will help you organize.

* Supervisors and a few other kinds of employees customarily are excluded from coverage. For more information, contact a union organizer as described below.

No one is going to know your workplace better than you and your coworkers! But there are some key steps that most successful union organizers would recommend that you take:

You need to have 1-on-1 conversations. It’s useful to think of an issue or two that matter to your coworkers, like that crazy increase in health care premiums we have to pay or the loss of paid time off.

You should “map out” your workplace. As you have those conversations, you’ll need to keep track of who definitely wants to organize a union, who might need some more convincing, or who has concerns. Knowing where you stand with your coworkers is key to a successful organizing campaign.

You need to talk to your coworkers about the real issues that are driving you to organize and what you want the union to help you win.

When enough of your coworkers are on the same page, you can reach out to a union and decide how you want to organize. 

If you work for a big employer, there might be other workers already organizing in your workplace or in your industry at large. For example: most auto workers already organize with the UAW, or many hospitality workers organize with UNITE HERE.

We at the NYS Laborers’ Organizing Fund (NYSLOF) can help in any stage of your organizing process. Whether you decide to affiliate with a larger union, or to organize independently, we can help you to develop an organizing plan for your workplace.

NYSLOF has been union organizing in the construction industry for over a century. We represent more than 40,000 construction workers standing with a wide variety of industries and professions who want a seat at the negotiating table and in the halls of power. We believe if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu!