Joining PTE Local 17
Jump To:
Form A Union
Right To Organize
FAQ


Joining: Why Become a Member?

CEOs and Athletes Have Contract, Why Shouldn't You

When you work with a union contract, your wages, benefits and working conditions are guaranteed in writing in a legally binding and enforceable contract. And after you pass your probationary period, your employer cannot take your job away without just cause. Your contract gives you more rights as a worker than under state or federal labor laws. That's why actors, professional athletes, airline pilots, and many other professionals have union contracts.

Contracts are legally binding documents which are negotiated between union members (and staff) and the employer. The employer cannot unilaterally change a union contract without negotiating. While many unorganized employees are riding the economic roller coaster in the dark, employees covered by collective bargaining agreements understand the terms and conditions of their future.

A contract gives you a voice in the workplace. Not only will you gain a say in what your wages, benefits and working conditions are, but your participation in Local 17 gives you power in numbers and the strength, expertise and history of success to negotiate a meaningful contract.

In Unity,
Joe McGee,
IFPTE Local 17 Executive Director

Back To Top


How do you form a union?

Public Sector - Washington State

The process for organizing a union if you work for a city or county government (the public sector) is quite different than the process of organizing if you work for a private company.

The labor agency that oversees organizing efforts by public employees is called the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC).

RCW 41.56.040 Right of Employees to organize and designate representatives without interference. No public employer, or other person, shall directly or indirectly, interfere with, restrain, coerce or discriminate against any public employee or group of employees in the free exercise of their right to organize and designate representatives for their own choosing for the purpose of collective bargaining… Your organizing effort begins with a call to our organizing director who will work with you to pull together an organizing plan.

The first part of the plan is the building of an organizing committee. This committee consists of employees who are well respected by their peers and who are willing to communicate, educate and provide leadership to their colleagues who are a part of the organizing effort. The most effective organizing committee is one that reflects the gender,ages, job classifications and ethnicity of the employees that you are trying to organize. The organizing committee should be large enough to ensure that employees throughout the workplace know who the organizing committee member in their area is and has a clear line of communication with them. The organizing committee is the foundation of the union in the workplace.

Once an organizing is formed, OC members are given cards to have their co-workers sign. These cards authorize our union to represent employees and show PERC that people are interested in joining our union. PERC administers various laws related to union certification. The most effective method of gaining union representation is to have an overwhelming majority of employees sign union cards. If 71% of employees sign union cards, then PERC will engage in a 'card-check' process and certify the union to represent employees. After the union is certified to represent employees, employees will elect a bargaining team, survey union members about issues to prioritize at the bargaining table, and together with a Local 17 staff member, negotiate a contract with the employer.

Back To Top


Your Right to Organize - It's Your Right!

Q. Do I have a right to engage in organizing activities in the workplace?
A. Yes! You have a legal right to engage in organizing activities in the workplace.The company or organization may prohibit organizing activities, but in the absence of special circumstances, an organizational or company rule that prohibits organizing activities on non-work time in non-work areas is considered 'interference' with your rights and violates the National Labor Relations Act. Public employees' bargaining rights are covered under the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) which the Washington State Legislature created in 1975 to provide for "uniform and impartial...efficient and expert" administration of state collective bargaining laws, to "ensure the public of quality public services."

Additionally, a valid organizational or company rule limiting distribution and solicitation may not be enforced in a manner that treats union organizing activities differently than other non-union related activities.

Q. What organizing activities are acceptable in the workplace?
A. Both workplace solicitation and distribution on behalf of your organizing drive are permissible on the employer's property. However, different rules related to workplace organizing apply to those activities classified as 'solicitation' and those activities classified as 'distribution'. Solicitation includes seeking signatures for a representation petition or handing employees representation cards. Distribution includes activities such as handing out flyers or other materials.

Q. When and where can I distribute union flyers?
A. You can distribute union flyers at your work site during non-work time. However, your employer does have the right to prohibit distribution of union flyers in your immediate work area.

Q. Can I be prevented from talking about the union?
A. Mere talking about the union, absent solicitation of cards, cannot be banned.

Q. May I solicit employee signatures on the employer's property while I am off duty?
A. Yes. Your employer may limit your access to work areas while you are off duty, however, you should be allowed access to nonworking areas. If the employer prohibits you from interior areas of the worksite, that prohibition must be clearly communicated to all employees and must be enforced equally regardless of the purpose for the access.

Back To Top


Frequently Asked Questions About Unions

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 a $50 initiation fee 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"?
A. 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.

Back To Top