Join a Union!
 If you want
to help build a union in your workplace in order to improve your wages, benefits and working conditions, then send us an e-mail at
teamstersdc3@gmail.com or call us at 1 (800)-797-2289, we'll put you in touch with a union
organizer who can confidentially talk to you about unions and what it takes to
organize in order to get a voice in the workplace.
The Law Protects Your Rights During Union Organizing Drives
You have the right to organize a union to negotiate
with your employer over your terms and conditions of employment. This includes
your right to distribute union literature, wear union buttons, t-shirts, or
other insignia (except in unusual "special circumstances"), solicit coworkers to
sign union authorization cards, and discuss the union with coworkers.
Supervisors and managers cannot spy on you (or make it appear that they are
doing so), coercively question you, threaten you or bribe you regarding your
union activity or the union activities of your co-workers. You can't be fired,
disciplined, demoted, or penalized in any way for engaging in these
activities.
Remember before you take any steps at work send us an e-mail at
teamstersdc3@gmail.com
or call us at 1 (800)-797-2289 and we'll put you in touch with a union
organizer who can talk to you and develop an action plan for your workplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a union?
A union is a group of employees who join together within a company to bargain collectively for better
wages, stronger benefits and safer working conditions.
What do unions do?
A union’s primary objective is to secure good contracts for its
members and to enforce the provisions of that contract. The union also
administers some of the contract's important benefits directly. Often these
include wage increases, health plans, and pensions.
How do I organize a Union with District Council 3?
Workers who want to join GCC/IBT District Council 3 sign a “union authorization card”.
When a majority of employees sign cards, they are forwarded, in most cases, to the National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB). The NLRB then schedules and conducts a secret ballot election. In some
cases, when a majority of workers sign cards the company will recognize the
union. When the union is certified, the company is required by law to bargain
over wages, benefits and working conditions.
If I sign an authorization card do I have to vote yes in the election? What if I change my mind?
In District Council 3 we are committed to organizing workers that want Union
representation. Organizing is not about holding a vote; it is about gaining a
voice in the workplace. When the NLRB conducts a union election it's a secret
ballot. No one has any right to know how you voted.
Who negotiates our contract?
The Union and the company each choose their own negotiators.
The company's team is usually comprised of lawyers, local management and upper
management officials. The union team usually consists of bargaining unit
employees and expert union negotiators.
What is a “bargaining unit”?
A bargaining unit is made up of all the employees who are eligible
to vote for and be in the union.
What kind of say do I get in the contract?
Before contract talks start, we ask you what you'd like to see
in a contract. Usually the union sends out a survey to all a bargaining unit's
members. Once the contract has been negotiated it's submitted to you and your
co-workers for ratification. If a majority doesn't approve of the contract, your
negotiating team goes back to the drawing board.
What are union dues? What are they used for?
Union dues are the money you pay to the union to help pay for support staff, legal costs, negotiation costs,
arbitrator's fees, etc. In fact, newly organized groups do not pay any union dues until the majority of employees vote in favor of
accepting a contract.
How democratic are unions?
The whole process is open and democratic. You decide if you want to sign an authorization card.
You decide whether to vote "yes" on joining the union. You decide which co-workers you want
on your negotiating team. You decide what to tell your negotiators you want in a
contract. You vote on the contract once it's negotiated. You vote on who will be
your shop steward. You vote on who will be the officers of your local.
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GCC/IBT DC3 Affiliated Locals
Join Gcc Teamsters District Council III on facebook
Contact Information
Main Office: Graphic Communications Conference/International Brotherhood of Teamsters District
Council 3, 11420 East Nine Mile Road, Warren, Michigan 48089
• Phone: 586-755-8041 • 800-797-2289 • Fax: 586-755-8042
• Email:
GCC/IBT District Council 3
Cincinnati Regional Office: Graphic Communications Conference/International
Brotherhood of Teamsters District Council 3, 2100 Oak Road, Cincinnati, OH 45241
• Phone: 513-621-3974 or 800-797-2289 • Fax : 513-621-5283
• Email:
GCC/IBT District Council 3
Cleveland Regional Office: Graphic Communications Conference/International Brotherhood
of Teamsters District Council 3, 1400 East Schaaf Road, Brooklyn Heights, Ohio 44131
• Phone: 216-741-5722 • Fax: 216-741-6819 • Toll Free: 800-797-2289
• Email:
GCC/IBT District Council 3
Battle Creek Regional Office: Graphic Communications
Conference/International Brotherhood of Teamsters District Council 3, 8680
Verona Road, Battle Creek, Michigan 49014
• Phone: 269-968-4143 • Fax: 269-968-0120
• Email:
GCC/IBT District Council 3
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Purchase Union Made Goods!
Look for the
Union Label!
BUY AMERICAN! Shop Union Made!
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Teamsters District Council 3
