The Case for Labor Peace

"We are tired of working our hands off and laboring every day and not even making a wage adequate with the basic necessities of life."
--Rev. Martin Luther King 'in a speech to Memphis sanitation workers, April 1968.

Q. What is a Labor Peace Agreement?

A. Under a Labor Peace Agreement, an Employer and a Union lay out ground rules to ensure a fair environment in which workers may choose whether or not to form a union.

Q. Why do employers oppose Labor Peace Agreements?

A. Many employers strongly prefer to remain non-union and go to great lengths-even breaking or stretching the law-to keep employees from organizing.

Q. Why are Labor Peace Agreements Necessary?

A. There cannot be a fair election in a workplace atmosphere of fear and intimidation. • Even though such retaliation is illegal, violations carry only minor penalties.

• Employers often hire anti-union consultants or lawyers to run scare campaigns.

• Supervisors are instructed to intimidate and threaten employees

Q. What kind of rules are usually found in Labor Peace Agreement?

A. The Employer agrees to 1.) remain neutral, 2.) to provide the Union with a list of non-supervisory employees and 3.)to recognize the Union when a majority of workers sign Union authorization cards or petitions. The Union agrees not to disrupt the Employer's business. Both parties agree not to intimidate or harass workers.

Q. Who counts cards?

A. A mutually agreed upon neutral person, such as a priest, a minister, or elected official counts and verifies employees signatures. If anyone feels they were pressured into signing a card, he or she can ask the neutral person to remove their card from the tally.

Q. Are Labor Peace Agreements legal?

A. Yes. The National Labor Relations Act absolutely permits a group of workers to show a majority want a Union in this way. A secret ballot election is not absolutely required. Many employers around the country- including Levi-Strauss, Xerox, Southwestern Bell, as well as Westin, Sheraton, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels-have signed such labor peace agreements.