The Law & You 

Your Right To Join The TEAMSTERS

Is Protected By Law

It has been hereby declared to be the policy of the United States Government to eliminate the causes of certain substantial obstructions to the free flow of commerce . . . . . . by protecting the exercise of workers' full freedom of association, self-organization and designation of representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment or their mutual aid or protection.

Employees have the right to self-organization, to form, join or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.

The language above is  quoted from the NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT, as amended.  The United States Congress passed this law to protect workers, just like you.  Please read on and acquaint yourself with your rights under that law as determined by the United States Supreme Court, the Federal Courts and the National Labor Relations Board.  Read carefully, you will find that you are protected in many ways when you join the TEAMSTERS Union.  You will learn why your boss violates Federal Law if he should fire you, discipline you, or threaten you in any way because of you wanting to join the Union.  As a United States citizen, you enjoy these rights.  However, as a member of the TEAMSTERS Union, you have the strongest Union in the U.S.A. to help you enforce these rights.

The law protects you from discharge or discipline because of your interest in the TEAMSTERS Union.    Section 8(a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act makes it unlawful for your employer to discriminate against you in regard to tenure or any other condition of employment in order to discourage your interest in the TEAMSTERS Union.

Furthermore, your employer can't tell you that he won't abide by the order of the Labor Board.  The Federal Courts enforce these orders of the Board for you.  The courts have held employers in contempt of court for refusing to comply with these orders.  In one case, rather than just fining the employer for such refusal, the court put the president of the company in jail until he complied.

There are many things that this Section of the Act makes unlawful.  The employer cannot call you into his office and question you about the Union.  He cannot spy on your Union meetings or ask you what went on, or who was there.

This is not all that this Section of the Act makes unlawful, but these things should give you an idea of the type of conduct which the law forbids.  

There are two main methods by which labor unions are chosen to represent employees.  If a majority of the employees indicate (usually by signing authorization cards) that they want the TEAMSTERS Union to represent them, the employer can voluntarily recognize the TEAMSTERS Union.  The other method is to have the National Labor Relations Board conduct an election.  If the majority of the employees vote for the TEAMSTERS Union, then the TEAMSTERS Union is certified as the bargaining agent for all the employees.  The important thing is that every election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board is by secret ballot.  No one, not your employer, your fellow employees, not even the union, will know how you voted.

Your choice to have the TEAMSTERS Union represent you is entirely up to you.  The law guarantees it.

Throughout this posted information, we have outlined a few of the ways in which the law protects you because of your interest in and activities on behalf of the TEAMSTERS.  If you hide the light of your interest under a bush, the employer can claim that he wasn't even aware of your Union activities.  This makes it more difficult for the law to protect you.    Then it is up to you to prove that any discrimination was because of your interest in the Union.  But, if you are very open about your interest in the TEAMSTERS, if you talk about it on your work breaks, wear a TEAMSTER button, attend the Union meetings, and help get your fellow employees signed up, then your employer cannot say that he was not aware of your Union activities.

Remember the United States Government stands behind you when you want to join the TEAMSTERS.

We also strongly suggest that you carry a small note pad to keep  detailed notes of things the employer does that appear to be unlawful during the organizing campaign.  Such notes should include what was done or said, who did or said it, when and where it was done or said, who witnessed what was done or said, the date it was done or said, the time it was done or said.  The more accurate your notes are, the easier it is for the law to protect you.