Getting Started

Private Sector Organizing

If you work in a private sector, your right to organize is protected by the National Labor Relations Act. The Federal agency that enforces the NLRA is the National Labor Relations Board.

The National Labor Relations Act states:

...Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing.

Employees have the legal right to help organize, to join and to support the Teamsters. This includes signing a union authorization card, getting others to sign cards, attending union meetings, wearing union buttons, passing out union literature and talking to other employees.

Workers have the legal right to join together and work as a team in order to help each other. It also states that employees have the legal right to deal with their employer as a group, rather than individually. It gives employees the legal right to take such group action, as they feel necessary in order to gain their desired goals as long as these actions violate no other laws.

You have the right to organize in your workplace free from harassment and intimidation. The company cannot interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights. Anything that an employer does to interfere with this free choice is a violation of the law. You should speak to a Teamster organizer further about your rights on the job.

Public Sector Organizing

The public sector is the fastest growing segment of the labor movement. Teamsters have enjoyed considerable success at both organizing and representing public employees. Public defenders in Minnesota, county attorneys in Montana, public works employees in Illinois and firemen in Sacramento all have the benefits of solid Teamster contracts.

Public sector employees are not generally covered by the National Labor Relations Act. Instead, the actual governing laws vary by state and province. But throughout North America, Teamster locals have the know-how and stamina to see you through the bureaucratic maze. If you’re a public employee looking to organize, contact a Teamsters local today.

Aviation Sector Organizing

The Teamsters Union is the only union that represents every craft of workers in the airline industry. The law covering aviation employees requires that they be organized on a system-wide basis for the purpose of collective bargaining.

Airline employees are covered by different labor law under the Railway Labor Act, not than the National Labor Relations Act. Local unions should contact the Airline Division for assistance with organizing airline employees establishing an Airline Grievance and Arbitration System Board of Adjustment under the Railway Labor Act. All representation election petitions, RLA Section 6 contract negotiation notices, and requests for the services of the National Mediation Board (NMB) must be initiated by the Teamsters Airline Division. Additionally, all collective bargaining certifications issued by the NMB in the airline industry are issued in the name of the International.