Questions & Answers

Ever heard the saying that there is power in numbers? That’s what unions are all about. A union is an organized group of workers who unite to have a voice in decisions affecting us in our jobs. When we work together, we get to have a seat at the table as equals with management when decisions are made that impact us.

Have you ever tried to make changes at work by standing up alone? It isn’t easy, and it’s rarely successful. When working people stand together and speak as a union, there’s a lot more we can accomplish. As union members, we have a collective voice to win better:

• Pay and wages;
• Work hours;
• Benefits (including retirement plans, healthcare insurance, vacation and sick leave, etc.); 
• Workplace health and safety;
• and more!

Our union strives to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our communities. We know that when working people whether white, Black or brown, are united in a union, we have the power in numbers to raise wages, secure basic needs like healthcare insurance, improve our jobs, make life better for our families, and build stronger communities. Additionally, unions set the standard by raising wages and benefits for all (not just their own members) when we have more members across many different workplaces. 

Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 40,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in the Bay Area, the Central Coast, and in the Central Valley. Our union works like a democracy. We hold elections for executive board officers, delegates and trustees who make decisions on behalf of our union members.

We are committed to making sure the needs of our community and the vital services we provide our community come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.

To find your nearest union office, click here.

Joining other SEIU 521 members gives us a stronger voice in our workplaces, communities, and in local government. Being a union member has its benefits. The benefits of belonging to a union are very clear: higher pay, better benefits, and a voice on the job. 

Members have rights and benefits that non-members do not have. Members have the right to vote in union elections, such as contract negotiations, electing your union leadership, and setting bylaws and dues. Members also enjoy benefits such as eligibility for college scholarships, and a wide array of discounts and services. But the most significant benefit of membership is our strength at the bargaining table during contract negotiations. Get access to more rights and benefits. Become a member today!

Your union contract is a mutual agreement between you and your co-workers and your employer. Your union contract defines the terms and conditions of employment for members, as well as the employer’s obligations and responsibilities. Union members refer to their union contracts when they have questions about their wages, benefits, or when they need to know what steps to take when they disagree with management’s decisions. To find your contract, log in or create your MemberLink account at https://members.seiu521.org, then click on the “Documents” tab.

We have more than 800 stewards who are leaders at our workplaces. The main roles of Stewards are to help enforce our union contract and support worksite grievances. Stewards perform many roles, but fundamentally, they help rebalance the boss-to-worker power structure so that our union members have a stronger voice at work. Contact your steward if you suspect management is trying to discipline you or terminate your job and don’t forget your Weingarten Rights (Right to Representation).

For more information on what the important role stewards play in our union, click here.

To find your Steward(s), log in or create your MemberLink account at https://members.seiu521.org, then click on the “Stewards” tab.

If you are ever called into an interview meeting with your supervisor or manager so they can investigate a situation which might result in discipline or termination, you have specific representational rights. 

This statement could save your job:

“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated I respectfully request that my steward be present at the meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to respond to any questions or statements.”

The Weingarten Rights are summarized below:

• You have the right to have a union Steward present.
• If you want a Steward there, you must ask for him or her.
• If you do not know why your manager wants to meet with you, ask him/her if it is a meeting that could result in a discipline.
• If your manager refuses to allow you to bring a Steward, repeat your request in front of a witness. Do not refuse to attend the meeting, but do not answer any questions either. Take notes. Once the meeting is over call your Steward at once.
• You have the right to speak privately with your Steward before the meeting and during the meeting.
• Your Steward has the right to play an active role in the meeting. She or he is not just witness.

These rights are called “Weingarten Rights” based on a 1975 Supreme Court decision (NLRB vs. J. Weingarten). As with all rights, if we do not use them we lose them.

A grievance is a formal complaint made by an employee or a group of employees against their employer, usually for a violation of your union contract. Your contract will spell out the terms of the grievance procedure your union has negotiated. The first step is to contact your steward for any violation of your union contract. Grievance procedures escalate in “steps” (from early discussions with low-level supervisors all the way up to full-fledged arbitrations), with specific time limits assigned to each step. You must try to meet the requirements of each step within the specified time limits. If you fail to do so, without proper cause, you could lose the grievance on a technicality.

Typically, the progression goes something like this:

• STEP 1 Steward meets with low-level supervisor.
• STEP 2 If no solution, steward meets with higher management.
• STEP 3 If no solution, there may be another meeting as in Step 2, or perhaps a grievance “panel,” or else the whole thing may go to:
• ARBITRATION Where nobody wants to be, but the problem will get settled here by a neutral third party. The decision to go to arbitration will not be made lightly. It will depend on such things as the importance of the issue (problem), severity of the case, cost, and chances of winning. Your investigation, notes, and reports will become really important when such decisions have to be made.

Timeliness is critical. If you believe your workplace rights have been violated, don’t hesitate to contact your steward first. Your steward will work with you to resolve the issue. If you have other questions regarding a grievance or a final disciplinary action, call your union office and ask for the Contract Enforcement Department.

For more employment rights, visit http://www.unioncounsel.net/resources/.
You can also check out the following resources:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – www.ada.gov 
• California Department of Fair Employment and Housing – www.dfeh.ca.gov 
• California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) – www.perb.ca.gov 
• Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) – This act establishes collective bargaining for California’s municipal, county, and local special district employers and employees – www.perb.ca.gov/laws/mmba.aspx 
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – www.eeoc.gov 

Union members have more rights under the law than non-union workers, including the right to legally withhold our labor, called “going on strike”, in some situations. Strikes are protected activities under the law. It is illegal for an employer to fire anyone for participating in a concerted action like a strike. This means that permanent, probationary, and extra help workers, including student workers, are protected. 

Before a strike happens, the membership must vote to authorize a strike. This vote gives the Bargaining Team, made up of members of our union, the authority to strategically select the time and duration of a walkout that will be most effective in reaching the members’ bargaining objectives. You need to stay in touch with your CAT (Contract Action Team) Member in order to stay informed about these decisions. 

You will not be paid by your employer nor SEIU 521 while on strike. SEIU 521 uses Strike Funds to support picketers with food, portable bathrooms, media, rally activities, and legal defense, as well as all other infrastructure needs of such a big action. Our union may assist eligible strikers with rent, PG&E bills, and other bills after the first short paycheck is received, but the decision is up to the Hardship Committee, which is made up of members like you from across our union who will help determine how funds are allocated.