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Tips for Newbies

  • Keep your efforts quiet until you have enough support to be open. Build from a small group of people, and move out from there - have each person talk to people they know and trust. The longer you can go with management not knowing of your plans, the better off you'll be, because you'll have been able to talk to your co-workers first, and prepare them to for the lies management will tell. The more you prepare yourselves and others, the higher the likelihood that workers will stick together and look out for their common self-interest in the face of your employer's anti-union campaign.
  • Educate yourself o­n the history of unions - what they really are, what they can do. Also educate yourself o­n the industry of union-busting - fortunately, because the strategies for fighting workers' efforts to unionize are based o­n lies and distortions, all anti-union campaigns are pretty much the same. Educate yourself o­n what your employer will do to discourage workers from unionizing and share this information with your co-workers.
  • Remember many companies are extremely anti-union  - and they are o­n 'high alert' for union activity in other stores. As soon as they catch o­n that something is happening in your store, they will begin their anti-union campaign. Unfortunately, even though their meetings and presentations will be filled with distortions and lies, some of your co-workers will buy into them (in part because to some degree, most of us have been taught to trust our employer, despite the fact that it makes much more sense to trust our co-workers), and you might lose support.
  • Do not tell anyone in management your desires/plans to unionize - no matter how much you trust them!  Although it is a legally-protected right for non-management workers to unionize, people in management positions are NOT protected by federal labor law. What this means is that although it is illegal for your employer to threaten, harass, or in any way punish non-management employees for union activity, your employer can mandate that managers support the company and can fire managers for being aware of union activity and not doing anything about it.
  • If you or a co-worker is threatened or punished for union activity, contact a local union organization immediately for assistance. Although it is illegal for companies to punish their workers for engaging in union activity, it unfortunately happens. If you don't know of an organization to contact, email us and we'll help you find out.
  • Once talks of unionizing are out in the open, BE VOCAL IN YOUR SUPPORT FOR UNIONIZING! The more visible support you have for the idea of unionizing, the more power you'll have at the bargaining table - and the better everyone's jobs will be, because your contract will be that much better.  
  • Get support from local labor organizations, student groups, and other community organizations. Have people in your community contact your store, expressing their support of workers' efforts to better their workplace conditions through unionizing.
  • Stay focused, be positive and remain non-defensive. your employer will do all they can to get you o­n the defensive and distract you from focusing o­n why you want to unionize. Keep this idea in mind: 'Unionizing is the o­nly way that workers are guaranteed a say in creating their work environment.' Keep asking your employer this question: 'Do you have a legal obligation to negotiate with us if we don't unionize?'  
  • Remember that it doesn't matter if you happen to have a good manager. Unionizing levels the playing field between your employer and the workers who make the company a success. Without a union contract, there is no guarantee that the things you like about your job today will still be there a week from now. There is also no guarantee that new policies won't come from above your manager that she/he has no control over - or that your manager will be there a week from now.
  • Remember that unionizing isn't a 'punishment' that workers 'inflict' o­n their employer for mistreatment. Sure, unionizing is something workers do to prevent mistreatment by their employer, but it's also a way to protect what you like about your job. As much as your employer likes to think that unionizing is a 'bad' thing, convince them that it's actually a very good thing - it builds solidarity and cohesion among workers, and it's an effective way of helping Target stick to its core values.  
  • Remember that workers do have power - they just need to stick together to access it most effectively!  There is strength in numbers.
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