Glossary
Learn the lingo! If you are considering unionization, it’s important to understand the different terms that are used throughout the process:
Agency fees: Agency fees are offered to members of a bargaining unit who have a verified reason (such as religious beliefs) not to pay the full amount of union dues. In many cases, agency fees are just a small percentage less than full dues and individuals who pay them are typically not allowed to vote on important union business like whether to ratify the collective bargaining agreement, go out on strike, or who the union steward(s) will be.
Bargaining unit: A group of employees who are represented by a single labor union for the purposes of collective bargaining.
Collective bargaining: The back-and-forth process between a union and employer to negotiate pay, benefits, and working conditions on behalf of a defined bargaining unit. The goal is to reach a collective bargaining agreement, or labor contract, that the employer and every member of the bargaining unit must follow.
Dues: Unions are a business, and they charge their members union dues in exchange for their service of collective bargaining. The union decides how much it charges in dues – it is not negotiated during collective bargaining.
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA): The NLRA is a federal law that guarantees non-supervisory staff the right to form, join, assist, or organize a union; choose their own representatives; bargain collectively; or choose not to do any of the above.
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): The NLRB is a federal agency established to enforce the NLRA. It is empowered by Congress to conduct secret ballot elections so voter groups can have free choice about whether or not to unionize.
Seniority: Seniority is often used to govern labor contracts by determining how decisions are made about things like time off, schedules, promotions, transfers, or pay. The actual definition of seniority and how exactly it is applied to a labor contract is negotiated during collective bargaining. Often, seniority is defined as the length of time someone is with a company or in a certain department/role, or the length of time they are in the union.
Union authorization card: A union authorization card is a paper card, digital form, or petition that unions use to collect signatures to prove they have the support of the bargaining unit (or group of employees) they want to organize. No matter what forms they come in, authorization cards can be legally binding and give the union the power to be the exclusive representative of the bargaining unit.