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IFPTE Local 17
2900 Eastlake Ave. E. Suite 300
(800) 783-0017
(206) 328-7321
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| Q. What is a union? A. A union is a group of employees in which a majority decide to bargain collectively to try to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. They can do this independently or with the help of an established labor organization. Q. What are union dues? What are they used for? A. Union dues are the money you pay to the union to help pay for union support staff, legal costs, negotiation costs, arbitrator's fees, etc. Local 17 dues are .85 percent of gross wages, the lowest in Washington state. The can only be raised by a vote of the entire membership. You pay no initiation fees to IFPTE, and you pay no dues until you and your coworkers have approved a contract by secret ballot. Q. What's a "union shop"? This means that all employees in the bargaining unit (see above) must be part of the union. It's a standard part of most contracts. It enables the union to bargain from a stronger position, which benefits all employees. Even those who opposed the union receive any increases in wages and/or benefits and representation under the law. Therefore, everyone needs to pay their fair share. Q. What's a "local"? A. A union is set up kind of like the United States. There is a national government, but many of the decisions that really affect you are on the state level. This is even more true of a union. There is an international union that oversees national operations. But the local takes care of the contract, helps employees that want help with managerial problems, etc. Q. What does the "International" do? A. It lobbies Congress for changes in laws that would benefit workers, send help to any locals that need it, coordinate national organizing efforts, etc. Q. What about a Strike? A. A strike is an action of last resort and seldom occurs. In fact, over 98% of union contracts are settled without a strike. In IFPTE Local 17, strikes can only be authorized by a majority, secret ballot vote of the employees involved. And it’s only smart to vote for a strike if you know you can win. The employer doesn’t want a strike any more than the workers do, so everyone has an incentive to reach a compromise during bargaining. Unions have developed a lot of other tactics that can put pressure on management to reach a fair agreement. For example, unions use boycotts or corporate campaigns or community support, rather than necessarily having to resort to striking. |
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| As a public employee, what happens in Olympia directly affects you, your family and your job. Donate to the Local 17 PAC and make sure your voice gets heard! |
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