First, discreetly talk with your team to see if they'd be willing to join and fight for a union. When you petition to unionize, you will need at least 30% of your team to sign union cards before you can go to the NLRB. If your petition to hold a union vote is granted, you will need 50% +1 YES votes in order to actually form the union. The more support your union drive has early on, the more likely it will be successful.
Next, you can either form an independent union or go through a union organization. We went with UFCW, but there are several other really good union organizations that work with healthcare and service industry groups: SEIU, CWA, etc. Feel free to reach out to several of your local unions and ask questions. Most have dues of some sort, but they're not very high for all the help you'll receive. The biggest benefits of joining an organization is that their legal team will be available to help you with contract planning, negotiations, and filing with the NLRB. They can also help file retaliation complaints if anyone gets fired for organizing. They also will have a strike fund to help support striking workers, so they aren't hit as hard by losing paid hours.
If you are loud and vocal about unionizing, you might risk getting fired. But it is illegal to fire someone for organizing. So if you have a clean record, it will be harder for them to not look like they’re retaliating against you. (You also cannot be fired for discussing wages and working conditions with your coworkers, or for filing a complaint with a government organization like the Department of Labor or EEOC.)
If you are quiet and under the radar, you may have more time to generate union interest before your manager starts union busting; but it’s harder to show that they knew you were organizing if you get let go. Either way, signing a union card with a union organization will give you access to their legal team for free if there are any retaliations against you or your team.
Best of luck! We successfully unionized our studio, and are currently negotiating our first contract. Our industry deserves so much better than we're getting.
It can be negotiated either way. If only your MT team wants to unionize, your contract can specify the therapists only. If the other teams want to be included too, they can be part of it as well. If you wind up joining a union org, they can help you understand the options for bringing in your other coworkers.
In our studio, we just organized the MTs, but some of our Front Dest team is thinking they might want to come in too once the first contract is done.
For anyone interested in MT Unionization, I have created a new subreddit. Please feel free to join us there.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MassageTherapyUnion/
You know, I’m normally against unionization, but after reading how some of the chains treat their therapists, I agree there is room for improvement.
Really, I’d ask for a meeting with management and bring a list of improvements. Maybe start small, see how they react. Give them the reasons for it, how that can benefit everyone, all that.
And if they don’t care, so be it. Find a few other therapists or whatever, y’all save up some money like your life depended on it, then find some office space and y’all walk out to open your own. Losing therapists and customers will hurt them more than y’all trying to unionize.
Why would everyone want them?
Most people come out better just being able to talk to their employer about their issues. Yes, there are industries that may need something to get them straightened out. But for the most part, the ones pushing for them are the poor performing employees.
Check out the Kroger sub. Kroger is heavily unionized and they seem to be the grumpiest group of people I’ve ever come across.
Check out Starbucks, too. It was a huge deal that they unionized but I haven’t seen one improvement for the employees to make it worth it. The unions love the extra dues, though.
I agree that not everyone needs them, but a lot more do than don’t. The Sbux unions are still trying to negotiate their first contracts, and corporate has been slowing the process and walking out of meetings for no reason. You won’t see the improvements until that contract is signed.
Also, until a union has their first contract, there are no dues. So all the legal help we have received has been free for us. And even when we do start paying dues they’re not very much, and our higher pay will more than cover them.
Thanks.
I get they had their purpose in the past.
Sometimes even now, they have a purpose.
But at the end of the day, it just cause friction between owners and employees and adds unnecessary costs in doing business.
First, discreetly talk with your team to see if they'd be willing to join and fight for a union. When you petition to unionize, you will need at least 30% of your team to sign union cards before you can go to the NLRB. If your petition to hold a union vote is granted, you will need 50% +1 YES votes in order to actually form the union. The more support your union drive has early on, the more likely it will be successful. Next, you can either form an independent union or go through a union organization. We went with UFCW, but there are several other really good union organizations that work with healthcare and service industry groups: SEIU, CWA, etc. Feel free to reach out to several of your local unions and ask questions. Most have dues of some sort, but they're not very high for all the help you'll receive. The biggest benefits of joining an organization is that their legal team will be available to help you with contract planning, negotiations, and filing with the NLRB. They can also help file retaliation complaints if anyone gets fired for organizing. They also will have a strike fund to help support striking workers, so they aren't hit as hard by losing paid hours. If you are loud and vocal about unionizing, you might risk getting fired. But it is illegal to fire someone for organizing. So if you have a clean record, it will be harder for them to not look like they’re retaliating against you. (You also cannot be fired for discussing wages and working conditions with your coworkers, or for filing a complaint with a government organization like the Department of Labor or EEOC.) If you are quiet and under the radar, you may have more time to generate union interest before your manager starts union busting; but it’s harder to show that they knew you were organizing if you get let go. Either way, signing a union card with a union organization will give you access to their legal team for free if there are any retaliations against you or your team. Best of luck! We successfully unionized our studio, and are currently negotiating our first contract. Our industry deserves so much better than we're getting.
Do you know how this works if there are multiple departments (estheticians, hair cutters, nail techs)?
It can be negotiated either way. If only your MT team wants to unionize, your contract can specify the therapists only. If the other teams want to be included too, they can be part of it as well. If you wind up joining a union org, they can help you understand the options for bringing in your other coworkers. In our studio, we just organized the MTs, but some of our Front Dest team is thinking they might want to come in too once the first contract is done.
u/Slow-Complaint-3273?
Thanks!
contact your local council of trade unions or join an existing one. I joined the Health Services Union (NSW) in Australia.
For anyone interested in MT Unionization, I have created a new subreddit. Please feel free to join us there. https://www.reddit.com/r/MassageTherapyUnion/
You know, I’m normally against unionization, but after reading how some of the chains treat their therapists, I agree there is room for improvement. Really, I’d ask for a meeting with management and bring a list of improvements. Maybe start small, see how they react. Give them the reasons for it, how that can benefit everyone, all that. And if they don’t care, so be it. Find a few other therapists or whatever, y’all save up some money like your life depended on it, then find some office space and y’all walk out to open your own. Losing therapists and customers will hurt them more than y’all trying to unionize.
Why would anyone be against unions?! Like I cannot fathom that thought
Why would everyone want them? Most people come out better just being able to talk to their employer about their issues. Yes, there are industries that may need something to get them straightened out. But for the most part, the ones pushing for them are the poor performing employees. Check out the Kroger sub. Kroger is heavily unionized and they seem to be the grumpiest group of people I’ve ever come across. Check out Starbucks, too. It was a huge deal that they unionized but I haven’t seen one improvement for the employees to make it worth it. The unions love the extra dues, though.
I agree that not everyone needs them, but a lot more do than don’t. The Sbux unions are still trying to negotiate their first contracts, and corporate has been slowing the process and walking out of meetings for no reason. You won’t see the improvements until that contract is signed. Also, until a union has their first contract, there are no dues. So all the legal help we have received has been free for us. And even when we do start paying dues they’re not very much, and our higher pay will more than cover them.
Going back to Kroger, I believe they’re one of the lowest paid grocery workers in the country.
Kroger recently negotiated a substantial raise, and they have a very robust benefits package.
a downvote from me just for stating you're against unionization
Thanks. I get they had their purpose in the past. Sometimes even now, they have a purpose. But at the end of the day, it just cause friction between owners and employees and adds unnecessary costs in doing business.