Committed and Determined
Does the Garden need us, the workers? Yes! Then why don’t we have any power over the decisions that affect us most? Management claims they listen to us when we bring up our issues, but we have no way of holding them accountable. We think it’s time to change that, and we know that it’s up to us to make that happen.
By building a union at the Garden, we are combining all of our power and insight into one solid organization that management will not be able to ignore. Each one of us has ideas on how we think things could be better, and many of those ideas are shared by all of us. Our union is where we can collect those ideas and deliver them to management with the force of hundreds of workers in lock-step.
What we are fighting for:
Our Right to Unionize
And our right to collectively bargain for a better job!
Our right to organize a union in our workplace is legally protected. Our bosses cannot retaliate against us in any way for engaging in legal union activity. If our rights are violated, we can pursue legal action or use our collective power to engage in direct action.
We are joining a national movement!
In recent years, the labor movement has seen huge wins both nationally and locally. This is an important and favorable time to form a union, and we will be one of the last cultural institutions in Chicago to do so! Workers United has been at the forefront in organizing workers at Starbucks, climbing gyms, universities, and nonprofits across the country, with one objective: to achieve better working conditions. Let’s join them!
Why Should I Join the Union?
Without a union, you are considered an "at-will-employee." As an "at-will-employee" you are at the mercy of your employer. Your employer can fire you tomorrow for no reason, and there is nothing you can do about it. Your employer is also not obligated to pay workers what they deserve, unless there's a union. As an "at-will-employee" you do not have the right to speak up about your working conditions. The bottom line is that as an "at-will-employee" you do not have a voice at work.
Would your employer ever willingly hire a vendor who demands to have no contract? Of course not. So, why shouldn't you be allowed to have a contract? A Collective Bargaining Agreement is a legal contract between the workers and the employer. Our contract will address things such as wages, retirement, health insurance rates, working conditions, disciplinary procedures, vacations, and more that affect the way you do your job.
We, at Workers United, believe that every worker in North America should have a union. Unions have proven throughout history that they are the driving force to uplift the working class by bargaining for better wages and working conditions. On average, a union worker makes 20% more in wages and benefits than their non-union counterparts. And a union gives you a voice, not just at work, but in your community, too.
