When a group of employees working for an employer wish to pool their resources in order to give them greater leverage at the bargaining table for wages, working conditions and benefits, they do so by joining and participating in a union. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (IA TSE) is the largest union in North America representing "below the line" film and video technicians and artisans, stagehands, and other technical entertainment employees.

How Does a Union Organizing Campaign Work?
If you are interested in organizing into the IATSE, you will be asked to sign a “Union Authorization” card. The IATSE card can be used to gain recognition from the employer or to seek an election from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Even if you are already a member of the Union, we still need you to sign a card if you wish the Union to represent you.

If we collect signed authorization cards from a majority of the employees, we can go to the employer and ask for voluntary recognition. If the employer refuses to voluntarily recognize us, we can request that the employer have a neutral party, such as an arbitrator, inspect the cards to make sure that a majority of the employees have signed. The employer never gets to see who did or did not sign a card. We can also petition the NLRB to hold an election. However, this is the most time consuming of all the options outlined.

What The Employer May Tell You
It is very likely that the employer or other management people will tell you that the IATSE will take you out on an immediate strike if the company refuses to recognize or bargain with it. This is absolutely untrue. We would not call a strike without a majority of employees agreeing that that is the action they want to follow.

Why Would You Want a Union?
Different employees want union representation for different reasons.

• Some want better wages.
  
• Some want better working conditions.
  
• Some want health insurance and retirement benefits.
  
• Some want the protection of an organization to represent them with the employer.

Without union representation, an employer can pay you anything they want, from minimum wage on up; there is no law that requires them to pay anything more than minimum wage.

Without union representation and a contract, an employer has no obligation to provide you with any benefits such as health care coverage or retirement benefits. For those of you who are working nonunion, you know this is true now.

Without union representation you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. The IATSE has been successful in negotiating contracts that provide good wages and benefits for the employees who are employed under the collective bargaining agreements. In addition, there are representatives who, if you wish, can represent you in your problems with management. You do not have to confront the employer over their failure to properly pay you or fail to provide you with benefits under the contract.

What Management Cannot Do During the Course of an Organizing Drive
You may find that the employer or others in management may try to influence your legally protected right to join the Union through fear, coercion, and intimidation. Under Federal Law, they are prohibited from interfering with your right to select a union as your "collective bargaining representative." Among the things that they are NOT permitted to do are:

1. They cannot promise any benefits to employees to stay out of the Union.
2. They cannot threaten the loss of jobs, income, benefits, or any other compensation you are now receiving if you do support the Union.
3. They cannot threaten to fire you, or fire you because you support the Union.
4. They cannot attend Union meetings.
5. They cannot treat you differently because they think you are supporting the Union.
6. They cannot transfer you because you are involved with the Union.
7. They cannot take work away from you because you are supporting the Union.
8. They cannot ask you about your opinion of the Union.
9. They cannot ask you whether you are supporting the Union.
10. They cannot ask you how you would vote if there were an election.
11. They cannot ask you at the time you are hired whether or not you belong to a Union.
12. They cannot help you withdraw from Union membership.
13. They cannot tell you there will be a strike.
14. They cannot tell you they will not deal with the Union.

If any of the above has happened to you, or if you wish to organize this job or any other project in the future, please contact us.