Questions and Answers about forming a union

What does signing a card mean?Signing a card is your vote in favor of  forming a union with SEIU Local 49. The language on the card reads, “I believe that by working together, we can make life better for our patients, our community, and our own families. I therefore authorize Service Employees International Union [SEIU] Local 49 to represent me in bargaining with my employer.”
 
What happens after I sign a card? Once a majority of employees in your department have signed authorization cards, the cards collected will be checked by a neutral, outside party, against a list submitted by Kaiser. If a majority of employees have signed cards, SEIU Local 49 become our exclusive collective bargaining agent.
 
I’m afraid my co-workers will find out that I signed a card.It is your choice whether you tell your co-workers you have signed a union authorization card. Nobody will see your card except the SEIU Local 49 organizer and the neutral outside party who counts the cards.

Could I lose my job for signing a union card? No. Kaiser maintains a strict policy of neutrality on the issue of employees’ choice to join a union. In fact, signing a card is the best way to protect our jobs. Once a majority of us sign cards, we can bargain for contractual protection against arbitrary discipline, termination, and layoffs.
 
How does bargaining work?Bargaining begins only after a majority of employees have signed cards and Kaiser has recognized SEIU Local 49 as the collective bargaining representative for the employees. The union cannot negotiate anything for a group of employees unless and until it has been recognized as their representative.
 
The SEIU Local 49 bargaining process:1. Elect a bargaining team with representatives from different job classifications.
2. Meet as a group to discuss everyone’s interests and priorities.
3. Begin bargaining. Your elected bargaining team will negotiate over your terms and conditions of employment. When employees want to negotiate for the same standards that other SEIU Local 49 members have, we will propose and bargain for those terms. However, those standards do not apply automatically as a result of joining our union; we must negotiate an agreement including them.
4. Have regular meetings and updates on bargaining.
5. Reach tentative agreements on proposals.
6. Bring the final set of agreements to the entire affected employee group for a vote. A majority of affected employees must vote to ratify the agreement before anything in the new contract takes effect.
 
 
How do I withdraw my card?To withdraw your card, send a request in writing to SEIU Local 49, and we will return your card.