NEGOTIATIONS
"The Union will get me better wages, benefits and working conditions."
FALSE.
THE UNION CAN'T GUARANTEE ANYTHING.
If Planned Companies doesn’t agree with the union’s request, it has the right to say NO. Union negotiations are a gamble. You can end with more, less, or the same.
Unions may promise employees wage increases and other benefits to get employees to sign union cards and/or vote for the union. However, the actual laws regarding collective bargaining make no such guarantees. Employees could get less, more or the same as they have now. The fact is, every term and condition of employment – not just those that might be contained in the union’s proposal – is negotiable.
Won’t it automatically mean more money or better benefits for me if the SEIU gets in?
No.
Planned Companies sells its services in competition with other companies and must consider the market.
All a union can do is ask.
Indeed, Section 8(d) of the National Labor Relations Act states that “[the bargaining] obligation does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or require the making of a concession.” This means the parties would simply be required to meet and discuss things. The union can ask for things, and Planned Companies has the right to say “no” to any proposal it does not agree with.
After negotiations, your wages and benefits could be less, stay the same, or could be more. No one can predict the result of negotiations.
Can wages and benefits be reduced as a result of collective bargaining?
Yes.
In collective bargaining negotiations, the wages and benefits that you currently enjoy could be lost or traded for something else. Wages, benefits and working conditions could get better, stay the same, or they could get worse. The union may trade away something you like in exchange for something that is not of value to you. If such situation occurred, Planned Companies would not be allowed to work with you directly to improve your personal situation. .
Does collective bargaining just cover wages?
Absolutely not.
Nearly everything that involves your wages and benefits is subject to negotiations. You might end up with more, the same or less in wages and benefits compared to what you currently have without union representation.
How long would it take the union to get a contract with Planned Companies?
There is no timetable.
Negotiations can take many months or sometimes even years before the parties reach either an agreement or an impasse (a deadlock). Sometimes, even after lengthy bargaining, an employer and union never reach agreement on a labor contract. We simply do not know, nor does the union.
What happens if Planned Companies and the union cannot agree on a collective bargaining agreement?
If an employer and a union cannot agree after engaging in good faith bargaining, normally the employer makes its final proposal, often called a “last, best, and final offer.”
In response, the union normally will ask its members to vote on the proposal. If the members of the bargaining unit vote to accept (or “ratify”) the offer, then the parties have a collective bargaining agreement. If the members of the bargaining unit reject the offer, then there is no agreement.