Happy Labor Day! The holiday is rooted in the late 19th-century labor movement and honors the sacrifices of workers fighting for fair wages and conditions. 

In honor of the holiday, we reached out to some local union leaders and organizers to find out how to go about unionizing a workplace in Lawrence. 

Seamus Albritton is president of the International Association of Firefighters in Lawrence, IAFF Local 1596. He started his career in fire service in 2013 with Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and became a union representative in 2017. 

Quinlan Muller attempted to unionize Chipotle in downtown Lawrence. She encountered resistance from management and filed an unfair labor practice claim with the National Labor Relations Board. Last year, Chipotle and the NLRB reached a settlement that required Chipotle to reaffirm labor rights and walk back punishments.

Matt Hall is the secretary and treasurer for Teamsters Local 696, the group that supports a handful of local unions including some employees of the City of Lawrence, Kansas Holistic Defenders and more.

Labor rights include the right of workers to organize and form unions, collectively bargain with employers and engage in strikes or other collective actions. These rights are protected under the National Labor Relations Act, which established the legal framework for unionization and collective bargaining.

Forming a union can help workers negotiate for fairer wages, better benefits, safer workplaces and more. 

Kansas is a right-to-work state, meaning employees cannot be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. 

What is the first step for someone interested in forming a union? 

Albritton: The formation of a union can begin with conversations with those who work around you. A successful organizing campaign will eventually depend upon the majority of your coworkers unifying around concepts of organized labor and recognizing the increased value it will bring to their lives. 

Have conversations with the people around you to find others who may be interested and motivated by the same values.

Hall: I would say getting a hold of an active international union.

Muller: One of the first steps in organizing is getting a general consensus among your  co-workers on their interest and views on unions. 

You can use certain framing to inoculate your coworkers with information about the benefits of unions and warn them of the misinformation your employer might say to try and dissuade you from unionizing. 

It is helpful to come up with a concrete list of demands that you want to be met if you end up successfully unionizing. You can then research unions around your area and see if the company you work for has other locations that have unionized, and with which one. I chose Teamsters because a Chipotle store in Michigan had successfully unionized with them earlier that year. They are still the only unionized Chipotle store. 

One thing that I didn’t realize was that in an ideal situation, your employer should not find out you even have plans to unionize until you have found a union representative and your coworkers have signed union cards with your chosen union if you decide to join one. 

What are some of the biggest challenges with unionizing and how can they be overcome? 

Hall: Fear is going to be a big challenge. It’s a scary thing to vote against your boss. 

Our labor laws in this country are antiquated. The employer has a lot of power in the relationship right now between employee and employer, so getting over that fear is going to be key.

Getting educated is the way to get over that fear. You know, something to start with is you want to talk to people at your workplace that you really trust to start with. You really want to keep it under the radar. You want to just talk to people in your workplace that you trust, and build kind of a community.

Albritton: Individuals interested in forming unions should be prepared for resistance from their employer, and in some circumstances, even some of their peers. This is OK, and to be expected. Luckily, there are numerous unions already in existence that would happily provide guidance and effort through these conversations. 

Being available to support other people organizing or for other union members in need is a core value in organized labor. Our members as well as members of unions around Lawrence often help out not just one another, but other community members exploring the possibility of organizing their workplace.

What are good resources for those who want to learn more about unionizing?

Muller: I would recommend using the Emergency Workers Organizing Committee as a resource. They can give you information on the legal steps you need to unionize, as well as connect you to other resources, such as people who have experience unionizing who can offer guidance. 

The National Labor Relations Board is also a good resource to find out the proper steps you need to take to officially file a petition to unionize. They can also help you format your documents correctly, and will process any labor complaints you might file if your company decides to interfere with protected union activities. 

Albritton: Most labor unions operating in the United States have a plethora of information and resources available that can be found online.

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What are some keys to finding success when forming a union?

Albritton: Success in labor is a sustained exercise in relationship building and people work, not paperwork. Unions are intended democratic spaces where co workers work to improve their workplaces and community around them. 

A union cannot be successful if it attempts to present itself as a subscription service where one pays dues only to receive benefits. Though there can be immediate and improved conditions when first joining a union, the true benefit is a mechanism that allows you to have a significant voice in the decisions that are going to affect you. 

Labor organizers should focus most on presenting their mission establishing and growing those mechanisms versus specific or immediate benefits.

Hall: Keeping organized is key. You’ve got to know who’s working there and how many people are working there. 

You’ve got to be able to know where everyone’s at, if they’re willing to support it or not. Because during the process, you’re going to have to go through an election with the NLRB, if you’re going private sector. During that time, you want to make sure that you know how people are going to vote and where people are going to be at. You want to keep organized when you’re doing that.

Muller: The main key to having a successful campaign really involves the participation of all of your coworkers. At the end of the day, you can’t do it without them. 

It’s important to remember that unionizing is a collective effort at its core, and while it’s helpful to have a small group of people who are communicating with your union representative and handling the legal matters, lending all the support you can goes a long way. 

A good sign of a healthy campaign is when your coworkers take time outside of work to meet your union representative and discuss strategies. 

How can someone find out which union group would be best for their workplace?

Hall: They have to research their industry, research different unions, make some phone calls, talk to some friends and get some help. You know, just look for the active unions that are organized a lot in your community and get a hold of them.

Albritton: Most major labor unions have plenty of information and contact information found online, or if you happen to be aware of a local union in town like us, give us a call and we can point you in the right direction.

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to start a union? 

Muller: If you’re the one who is leading the charge, it’s important to have the support of one or two coworkers to help you garner support. Organizing can be very stressful and burnout can easily take hold if you don’t have anyone to help share the responsibility. After all, organizing is a collective effort and unions are a collective body. 

Hall: Don’t get discouraged. It can feel like a daunting process. It’s a scary process for people. The unknown is always scary. So keeping themselves inspired, keeping themselves grounded and not getting discouraged is the key thing.

Albritton: Success on any drive or specific issue often does not come quickly. Hang in there, find friends and don’t do it alone.

Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.

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