ABC-SEMI Southeast Michigan Contractors Issue 4, 2021

Southeast Michigan Contractors Issue 4 2021 11 What Employers Can Do You may hold meetings with your employees on company time and property to answer questions and discuss the com- pany’s position and unionization. Just make sure the meetings aren’t held in a supervisor’s office. Talk with employees at their own workstations or in a group meeting. You can also mail literature to the employees’ homes, stating the company’s position, but be careful what you say. Here are some of the things you can say: » Describe the good features of working for your company, such as existing benefits, job security, and steady work. » Remind them that signing union authorization cards doesn’t mean they must vote for the union. » Inform them of the disadvantages of belonging to a union, such as the possibility of strikes, serving on picket lines, paying dues, fines, and assessments. » Explain the meaning of the phrases “dues checkoff” and “union shop.” » Inform them of any prior experience you’ve had with unions and what facts you know about the particular union that’s trying to organize them. » Tell your employees how their wages and benefits compare with other unionized and non-unionized compa- nies with less desirable packages. » Disclose the names of known gang- sters or other undesirable elements who may be or have been active in the union, provided this is accurate information that can be verified by official sources. » Inform them that, insofar as their status with the company is concerned, they are free to join or not to join any organization they choose. » Express the hope that your employees vote against this or any union.