NYC UNIONS
DISCLAIMER: LIVE DRAFT
ongoing updates + messiness + redundancies while i research, talk to more union folks, & figure out how to organize info; many specific union links go to insta (sorry!!). hmu, subject line "UNIONS," if u have additions / thoughts!
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EWOC 4 ANYONE
this form will get you in touch w/ the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (insta). super nice folks & they'll help at any stage of organizing, from vague curiosity to active campaigns ("hot shots" lol), w/ info on organizing convos, workplace mapping, whatev.
after filling out form, you'll hear from a volunteer who'll ask (confidential) Qs about your work conditions & history; # workers at yr job (excluding management, i.e., people who can hire & fire); issues you're facing; roughly how many coworkers you think or know share concerns; & past or planned attempts to address issues w/ management. they use this info to find a case-specific organizer who can best help you w/ next steps yay!
+ EWOC discussion Qs & videos
++ SIGN UP for *free* ORGANIZER TRAINING SESH
+++ related: Jessalyn Aaland's Organizing Power Vol. 1 (pdf)
++++ related: Jillian Grant's How to Unionize Your Workplace (pdf)
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START / JOIN A UNION
first Qs: are you not working for the gov't, & does your job have at least *2* EMPLOYEES who are not managers (i.e., people with hiring & firing power)? okay then HELL YEAH YOU CAN UNIONIZE WOOO!!!!! "confidential employees," supervisors, managers, & independent contractors usually can't unionize, sadface... but there are sometimes exceptions!! ask ewoc!
one reason i recommend talking to EWOC right away is because contacting a union organizer is legally protected, & they keep records; if there's any possibility of retaliation, it rules to have other parties noting your protected organizing activity!! you'll also likely wanna *start* by talking to co-workers you know well &/or are pretty sure are down, & try to keep explicit union talk quiet at work. (this is fun!! when annoyed, u can give sympathetic coworkers a peace sign, except u will both secretly know it's a pointy "u" for "unionize this bitch"!!)
another great starting step is just to talk to your coworkers!!! not about unionizing, just like, in general: what do you have in common, or not? what stuff do they care about? what's up with these other humans??? eventually you can establish an organizing committee & start organizing convos; EWOC also has info on this stuff.
when unionizing a workplace, you can either join / affiliate with an established union *or* start an independent union; the latter means learning & doing everything yourself, including raising $$ to hire lawyers & survive if you ever strike. that sounds extra hard in nyc (unless you work for a gigantic chain?), so you prolly wanna check out...
A FEW UNIONS w/ NYC LOCALS
AFM Musicians Local 802 (DCINY Orchestra) • AFL-CIO Labor & Industrial (Hearst Mag, DC 37 Public Employees, APWU Postal) • Carpenters NYC • CWA Communications Local 1180 (Audubon Society, Edible Schoolyard, StoryCorps) • IATSE Theatrical Stage Local 1 (mnhtn stagehands), Local 4 (bk & queens stagehands), Local 751 (ticket sellers) • IUOE Operating Engineers (MoMA PS1 maintenance) • NYSNA & NYPNU Nurses • IUPAT Painters • OPEIU Office & Professional Local 153 (Printed Matter) / NEU Nonprofit • RWDSU Retail Local 338 (Housing Works, REI Soho) • SAG-AFTRA Actors TV & Radio (NY Public Radio Union) • SEIU Service (Starbucks, CU clerical) • Teamsters (Amazon Drivers) • TWU Transport Local 100 • UNITE Food & Hosp Local 100 • United Auto Workers UAW Local 2110 Cinema (Lincoln Center Film, Nitehawk), UAW 2110 Museums (BAM, BK Museum, Guggenheim, Jewish Museum, New Museum, Tenement Museum, Whitney), UAW 2110 Publishing (HarperCollins Union), UAW 2110 Teaching (Asian American Writers’ Workshop, Blue School, Studio In A School) • UFCW Food & Commercial Local 1500 (Blank Street Coffee, Partners Coffee) • UFT Teachers
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MUSICIANS
Local 802 AFM // American Federation of Musicians –– DCINY Orchestra Union
MWA // Music Workers Alliance
UMAW // United Musicians & Allied Workers // reddit AMA
NONPROFITS & MUSEUMS
NOTE: if this is you, you may wanna check nyc-noise.com/nonprofits to see if i've got numbers for how much yr space is spending / making / shelling out in top compensation –– or just head to propublica's nonprofit explorer!
NEU Nonprofit Employees United, affiliated w/ OPEIU
OPEIU 153 Office & Professional Employees International Union (Printed Matter Union)
UAW Local 2110 United Auto Workers –– BAMunion • Brooklyn Museum Union • Guggenheim Museum Union • Jewish Museum Union • New Museum Union • Tenement Museum Union • Whitney Union
Independent Unions –– NY Live Arts Workers Union (i think independent, need to double-check)
Workers Organizing –– Noguchi Museum Rights
CINEMA / THEATRES / AMPHITHEATRES
IATSE International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees // stagehands / tech: IATSE Local 1 (Mnhtn, Long Island) & IATSE Local 4 (BK, Queens) –– Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden // ticket sellers: IATSE Local 751
UAW Local 2110 (Anthology Film Workers • Film at Lincoln Center Union • Nitehawk Workers Union)
RETAIL & SERVICE
Local 338 (insta) RWDSU *&* UFCW (Housing Works Union) /// RWDSU Retail, Wholesale, & Department Store Union (McNally Jackson, REI Union Soho) /// UFCW Local 1500 (insta) United Food & Commercial Workers (Blank Street Union, Partners Coffee Union) /// SEIU Service Employees International Union (Starbucks Reserve Roastery Union (?) • SBWU Starbucks Workers United • SBWU BK • SBWU Queens • SBWU Williamsburg)
Independent / Rank & File: Blue Bottle Independent Union • Think Coffee Workers United (?)
TECH / COMM / PUBLISHING
AFL-CIO American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations /// CWA Communications Workers of America (Apple Retail Union • Alphabet Workers Union • StoryCorps Union) /// SAG-AFTRA Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of TV & Radio Artists (NY Public Radio Union) /// UAW Local 2110 (HarperCollins Union) /// WGA East Writers Guild of America (AFL-CIO) (Hearst Union)
[ CATEGORIZE ]
Art Handlers Alliance • UAW 2325 Bronx Defenders Union • Gowanus Climbers United • IWW-FJU Freelance Journalists Union (insta)
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CLUNKY LIST
AFM // American Federation of Musicians // 802
• Local 802 AFM –– DCINY Orchestra Union
AFL-CIO // American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations
• Hearst Union
CWA // Communications Workers of America // 1180
• StoryCorps Union
IATSE // International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees // 1 • 4 • 751
where: big theatres like Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden
stagehands: IATSE Local 1 (Manhattan & Long Island) & IATSE Local 4 (BK & Queens)
ticket sellers: IATSE Local 751
IUOE // International Union of Operating Engineers
–– MoMA PS1 (installation, maintenance, visitor engagement depts)
NEU // Nonprofit Employees United (affiliated w/ OPEIU)
NewsGuild (insta) // Local 31003
–– NYT guild, NYT tech guild, NYMag Union
OPEIU // Office & Professional Employees International Union // 153
• OPEIU 153:
RWDSU // Retail, Wholesale, & Department Store Union
where: McNally Jackson • REI Union Soho
SAG-AFTRA // Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of TV & Radio Artists
–– NY Public Radio Union
SEIU // Service Employees International Union
where: Starbucks Workers United, 1199 CU Clerical/Technical Workers
UAW // United Auto Workers (lotsa museums + academia)
• UAW Local 2110: Asian American Writers’ Workshop Union • BAMunion • Blue School Union • BK Friends Union • BK Museum Union • Guggenheim Museum Union • HarperCollins Union • Jewish Museum Union • New Museum Union • Studio In A School Union • Tenement Museum Union • Whitney Union
–– Academia: 2110 CU Support Staff
–– ACT-UAW 7902: NYU adjuncts, New School part-time faculty, New School student workers
UFCW // United Food & Commercial Workers
• UFCW Local 1500: Blank Street Union • Partners Coffee Union
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REQUEST RECOGNITION
if a majority of workers sign cards authorizing a union to represent them (sample cards: CWA, IBEW, UMWA), then you can request recognition from your employer; they then have to start dealing with you as a union *or* file a petition seeking an election (which you can win w/ your majority).
Dear [MGMT],
We're writing to you in optimistic hope that you'll recognize our staff union at [ORG].
Many of us have worked here for years, and we deeply value [ORG]'s culture of [NICE THINGS]. We recognize that it's a privilege to contribute to [GR8 WORK], and we are choosing to unionize so we can build a stronger [ORG] together.
We respectfully and formally demand that [ORG] (the "Employer") recognize our union, ["ORG" United] (the "Union"), as the sole and exclusive collective bargaining agent for all full and part time permanent employees, excluding those defined by the National Labor Relations Act to not be qualified to join a union.
We are prepared to provide evidence to a mutually agreed upon 3rd party that a supermajority of employees authorize the Union to represent them for the purposes of collective bargaining. We respectfully and formally demand that you agree to this process as well. We submit the request that [ORG] recognize our union and immediately enter contract negotiations. We await your reply by [DATE/TIME].
With hope for [NICE STUFF IDK],
The Union Organizing Committee of [ORG]