Members-only unionism, also known as minority unionism, is a model for
trade unions in which
local unions represent and organize workers who voluntarily join (and pay dues) rather than the entire workforce of a place of employment. In such a model, a union election is not held by the entire workforce to determine whether a majority wishes for the workforce to be represented by a local branch of a national union, but a union can nonetheless exist to support members who pay dues.
While majority unions tend to possess and guard collective bargaining rights, minority-union members may be organized by the union to privately file group-presented grievances to management. The ability of such unions to meet on workplace grounds also relies upon the discretion of management.
Advantages and disadvantages
Members-only unionism allows members and organizers to operate under the radar of management, especially in regions rife with anti-union sentiment. It also allows for other activist and organizing models to be tried by a minority local union.
A disadvantage of this model is that businesses may not recognize a minority union as a collective bargaining agent for employees who are members. Strikes and pickets are likely not possible for minority unions, meaning that answers to grievances filed by members rely entirely upon the discretion and timing of management.
United States
Marvit and Schriever wrote about the history of members-only unions in the United States, and how the model fell into near-obscurity after the passage of the
National Labor Relations Act
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act, is a foundational statute of United States labor law that guarantees the right of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, and ...
of 1935. The writers covered a number of examples of minority unions, including the Texas Workers Alliance (an independent local in San Antonio, Texas) and CAAMWU of
United Electrical workers in
Nash County, North Carolina.
A more recent example of a minority union is
UAW
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American Labor unions in the United States, labor union that represents workers in the Un ...
Local 42, which was formed in July 2014 at the
Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Despite a failed unionization vote at the plant,
Volkswagen recognizes members who have joined the local. After the close vote against the UAW, Volkswagen announced a new policy allowing groups representing at least 15% of the workforce to participate in meetings, with higher access tiers for groups representing 30% and 45% of employees. This prompted anti-UAW workers who opposed the first vote to form a rival union, the American Council of Employees. In December, 2014 the UAW was certified as representing more than 45% of employees.
References
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Trade unions