Danville Workers United

By joining together, working people can transform not just workplaces but sectors and communities. When Unions are strong, communities are stronger.

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The IBEW represents thousands of government employees. While their work locations and job duties vary wildly from shipbuilding to general building maintenance, they have one thing in common – they’re all highly skilled. The IBEW is committed to improving the lives of North America’s workers and their families. With more than 725,000 members, the IBEW is among the world’s strongest labor organizations, representing workers in a range of skilled occupations in a wide variety of fields, including utility, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, government, and railroad.

Frequently
Asked
Questions

As a starting point, here are some basic questions and answers about unions and how they benefit you and the communtiy.

People have always joined together- whether in community organizations, church groups, parent teacher associations, or neighborhood watches- to make positive changes in each other’s lives and find solutions to problems that would be difficult or impossible to tackle alone. Through unions, people come together to make improvements at the place where most spend the largest portion of their waking hours: at their work.

Like the right to free speech or the right to assembly, the freedom of workers to join together in a union and negotiate with their employer as an equal partner with a shared stake in the success of the business (a process referred to as “collective bargaining”) is protected by the U.S. Constitution and U.S. law. Supported by a majority of Americans, around the world the right to join a union is considered an essential human right as it is recognized as one of the best ways to bring democracy, fairness, and justice to the workplace.

When workers come together as a group, they give themselves a voice in the workplace through a guaranteed contract.  Some of the benefits of having a collective bargaining agreement:

  • A voice at work – formal steps to settle contract disputes through a set grievance procedure
  • Better working conditions – job security, safety and health protections, seniority, and fair treatment
  • Reasonable hours – defined work schedules and paid holidays and vacation
  • Solid benefits – health insurance, sick leave, and pension
  • Fair wages –fair rates of pay, periodic pay increases, shift and grade differentials

In the same way unions give workers a voice at work- with a direct impact on wages and working conditions- unions also give workers a voice in shaping their communities.

  • Unions Build Worker Power- Unions promote economic equality and build worker power, helping workers to win increases in pay, better benefits, and safer working conditions.
  • Voting Impacted- Through long-standing advocacy and work to protect the right to vote, unions have linked voting rights to workers’ rights. Unions play a key role in mobilizing workers to vote, helping determine which political leaders are elected and what occupational backgrounds they come from.
  • Reducing Wage Gaps- Unions also help to reduce gender and racial/ethnic wage gaps. Hourly wages for women represented by a union are 4.7% higher on average than for nonunionized women. Unions have also historically helped and continue to help close wage gaps for Black and Hispanic workers. Black workers represented by a union are paid 13.1% more than their nonunionized Black peers, and Hispanic workers represented by a union are paid 18.8% more than their nonunionized Hispanic peers.
  • Increased Government Revenue And Decreased Government Spending- Unionization has a range of positive economic impacts in addition to decreasing wage inequality and closing gender and race wage gaps. Union membership yields a positive “net fiscal impact”—or, to put it simply, unionized workers have more income and therefore pay more taxes. Unions pave the way for more income

The Virginia General Assembly approved legislation in March 2020 repealing Virginia’s prohibition of public-sector collective bargaining. The legislation allows local governments to bargain collectively with their employees upon adopting an authorizing ordinance or resolution. Since that date the following VA Public Entities have passed Collective Bargaining Ordinances:

  • Arlington County
  • Fairfax County
  • Loudoun County
  • Prince William County
  • City of Alexandria
  • City of Richmond
  • City of Charlottesville
  • City of Virginia Beach
  • City of Portsmouth
  • Arlington School Board
  • Richmond School Board
  • Prince William County School Board

Still have fiscal and budget concerns as a resident? The law allows city and county officials the flexibility and the freedom of proper appropriation of the taxpayer’s money.

  • The Virginia General Assembly law allowing jurisdictions to engage in collective bargaining (Section 40.1-57.2B) states, “No ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to subsection A shall include provisions that restrict the governing body’s authority to establish the budget or appropriate funds.” Therefore, the law requires that the bargaining agreements must remain subject to fiscal/budget limitations.
  • Under Virginia code Section 40.1-57.2, a collective bargaining agreement cannot override ultimate authority to allocate money and fund financial commitments.

DOL- https://www.dol.gov/general/workcenter

EPI- https://www.epi.org/publication/unions-and-well-being/

DOL- https://www.dol.gov/general/workcenter/unions-and-democracy