{"id":54680,"date":"2024-06-11T20:05:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T20:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/?page_id=54680"},"modified":"2025-09-25T11:18:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T15:18:00","slug":"union-mythbusting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/union-101\/what-is-union-busting\/union-mythbusting\/","title":{"rendered":"Union Mythbusting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It’s illegal for employers to stop you from unionizing \u2014 but that doesn’t always stop them from trying anyway.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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No matter how benevolent or progressive they act, your employer will tell you anything<\/strong> to convince you not to start a union with your coworkers. And once you see enough union-busting campaigns from employers, you start to pick up some patterns. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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We\u2019re used to seeing companies run back the same tired playbook of myths and lies about how unions do and don\u2019t work \u2014 but if you don\u2019t see them coming, your coworkers could still fall for these tricks. But like any myth, they\u2019re easily debunked. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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You can expect to hear all of these myths in captive audience meetings<\/a><\/strong> and in conversations with management \u2014 so watch these clips and share them with your coworkers so they can know these myths before the company tries to spread them at your workplace!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Myth 1: \u201cUnions are a third party\u201d<\/h2>\n
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Companies love to tell us that when a union comes to a workplace, it takes away the direct relationship we have with our managers, even if we like them. This just isn\u2019t true. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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First, there is no such thing as a union contract that prevents you from talking to your manager. In fact, when policies are clearly defined by a union contract, it can help you and your managers stay on the same page at work. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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What\u2019s more, is if your manager is trying to discipline you unfairly, you have the right to a union representative<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> to back you up in any meeting you might have. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Myth 2: \u201cWe\u2019re not anti-union\u2026 BUT\u201d<\/h2>\n
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It is always your right to unionize, and while it\u2019s illegal for your employer to stop you from exercising that right, they absolutely can and will gaslight you with junk like this: they\u2019ll often be sure to stress that the decision you make is deeply personal \u2014 and then list a thousand reasons why they think you\u2019re better off without a union. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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There are all kinds of ways they say it: \u201ca union may be necessary at other companies, but ours<\/strong> is different!\u201d or \u201ca union isn\u2019t in your<\/strong> best self-interest\u201d. But at the end of the day, what they really mean is \u201cwe<\/strong> don\u2019t want to give up any power at this workplace.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Myth 3: \u201cUnions are outdated\u201d<\/h2>\n
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Employers like to paint this picture of unions as historical institutions that have lost their use in the 21st century. The truth is that we\u2019re seeing a rise in union activity to deal with new problems in the modern workforce. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Today, union workers have been fighting for safe conditions and fair pay during a global pandemic, against needless automation, and to secure dignity and fair conditions for workers in the modern gig economy. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The nature of work will always be changing, and we will always deserve a seat at the table for how those changes are made. One more thing that will always stay the same: your employer will give you more when you stand up and ask for it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Myth 4: \u201cUnions can\u2019t guarantee what they promise you\u201d<\/h2>\n
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What a union promises you is a seat at the table to negotiate with your employer over your working conditions, wages, and benefits. If you aren\u2019t getting what you need at the bargaining table, it\u2019s because your employer isn\u2019t giving it to you. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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So when your employer tells you that unions give empty promises, they\u2019re really telling you they have no intention of giving you what you\u2019re asking for. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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But when you start a union, they have to bargain in good faith with you over all of these things. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Myth 5: \u201cAll unions care about is dues\u201d<\/h2>\n
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After you vote to start a union at your workplace, you begin the process of bargaining your first union contract<\/a><\/strong>, where you can set higher pay scales and other benefits that improve your quality of life at work and in the rest of your life. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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And until you and your coworkers sign off on that first contract, you don\u2019t pay a cent of union dues. Ask yourself this: would you vote for a union contract that leaves you with less than you started with than before? No. We think that would be dumb too, which is why we strive to empower each other to bargain for the best contracts we can as UFCW members.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s illegal for employers to stop you from unionizing \u2014 but that doesn’t always stop them from trying anyway. No matter how benevolent or progressive they act, your employer will tell you anything to convince you not to start a union with your coworkers. 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