Esterline/Hytek Corporate should read this!!

Your rights at work!

The National Labor Relations Act  (a federal law) provides employees the right to form, join, or assist a labor union. This same law prohibits employers from intimidating, coercing, or firing employees in retaliation for exercising their right to form, join, or assist unions. Employees have the right to discuss forming a union and can distribute union literature during breaks, before and after work.

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects employees rights to: 

• Form, or attempt to form a union of employees where they work.

• Join a union, whether the union is recognized by your employer or not.

• Assist a union effort to unionize fellow employees.

• Engage in protected concerted activities. Generally, "protected concerted activities" are group activity seeking to modify wages or working conditions.

 Employers (Hytek) MAY NOT:

• Prohibit employees from discussing a union during non-work time, or from distributing union literature during non-work time in non-work areas, such as parking lots or break rooms

• Question employees about their union support or activities in a manner that discourages them from engaging in that activity

• Fire, demote, transfer, reduce hours or take other adverse action against employees who join or support a union or act with co-workers for mutual aid and protection, or who refuse to engage in such activity

• Threaten to close their workplace if employees form or join a union

• Promise or grant promotions, pay raises, or other benefits to discourage or encourage union support

• Prohibit employees from wearing union hats, buttons, t-shirts, and pins in the workplace except under special circumstances

• Spy on or videotape peaceful union activities and gatherings

Employers cannot interfere

NLRA forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective-bargaining purposes, or engaging in protected concerted activities, or refraining from any such activity.

 Examples of employer conduct which violate the NLRA:

• Threatening employees with loss of jobs or benefits if they join a union or engage in protected concerted activity.

• Threatening to close the plant if employees select a union to represent them.

• Questioning employees about their union sympathies or activities in circumstances that tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act.

• Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks. (punishing employees because they engaged in union or protected concerted activity)

• Punish employees because they filed unfair labor practice charges or participated in an investigation conducted by NLRB.

You have to play an active role in protecting 
your legal rights

Enforcement of the law does not happen by itself. If you are involved in organizing a union at your workplace, you should be in contact with an IAM&AW organizer to become more informed of your rights and how to protect them!

Document it!  Keep good written notes of any incidents in which management officials or supervisors threaten, harass or punish workers because of union activity. Keep track of any witnesses, times and dates of such incidents.