Most unions employ a well-paid sales staff called “organizers” who are trained and responsible for soliciting support from team members at targeted companies. These individuals are paid by the union to get team members to sign cards and join the union. Union organizers typically use pro-union team members to convince their peers to sign an authorization card/petition/online form and support the union. These team members, sometimes called “internal organizers,” also may be paid by the union and promised status as union delegates or stewards if the union campaign is successful.

No. You are under no obligation to talk with a union organizer. You have legal rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) that protect you from harassment, intimidation, and coercion. The NLRA also preserves your right to refrain from any union activity, to campaign against the union, and to not sign union materials.

Yes. You have the legal right to oppose the union. You also have the right to let other team members know your opinion.

It’s not that easy. Once the union is voted in, they are in place for a one-year minimum even without a contract. After the first year, or after the expiration of the first contract (or three years, whichever is sooner), if team members want to get the union out, they would have to gather enough signatures to file a decertification petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Team members would be responsible for initiating and organizing this effort on their own and, according to the law, St. Luke’s could not assist.