How to Start a union

Let's Start a Union!

UFCW Local 2D is here to help you with any questions you might have with starting a union.

Step 1: Talk to Your Fellow Workers

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A union is when workers join together to improve their jobs. Joining together in unions enables workers to negotiate for higher wages and benefits and improve conditions in the workplace.

Step 2: Speak with a Union Organizer

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Local 2D is here to answer all your questions. From learning how you can start a union to better understanding all the steps involved in negotiating a contract, we want you to have all the information you need.

Step 3: Start a Committee

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With the help of a Union Organizer, you and your coworkers will build an organizing committee. This will be the key group of leaders at your workplace who feel strongest about the need to organize. Your committee will then work together to get more coworkers involved with the effort to win a union contract that makes everyone’s job better.

Step 4: Know Your Rights

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Local 2D will bring you more control over your wages, benefits and workplace conditions. Companies would rather keep that control for themselves, so they often try to discourage employees from starting a union. Don’t worry, it is your right, protected by federal labor law, to start a union. You have the right to talk to your coworkers about starting a union and about workplace conditions, including pay.

Step 5: Sign Union Support Cards

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Once a majority of your coworkers agree on the need to have a union, you will sign support cards. These cards declare that you want to start a union and have Local 2D as your partner at work to help negotiate better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Step 6: Vote

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Once a majority of your coworkers have signed union support cards, they are submitted to the National Labor Relations Board to request a union election. This part can take several weeks as the Board decides on an election date and determines who at your workplace can vote. If a majority of your coworkers vote YES at your election, your employer now has to recognize your union and bargain with you and your coworkers.

Step 7: Negotiate Your Contract

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Congratulations! It’s time to get the benefits you deserve! Local 2D and our negotiating team will begin working with you and your coworkers to negotiate your first union contract. You and your coworkers will have the opportunity to vote on the contract before it is finalized to ensure it has the benefits and value you deserve. 

Hello future union member

Take the first step towards unionizing

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In an ongoing effort to bring you the best possible service, Local 2D has created this website as a tool for all our members to use.
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100 St Marys Ave
Staten Island, NY 10305
P. 718-331-0030

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