Good Things to Know

"Right to Work" States v "Non-Right to Work" States

Right to Work States:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

Non-Right to Work States:
Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Organizing? Recruiting? Same or different?

Union Organizing is the process by which employees working together establish minimum wages and working conditions sanctioned in a union contract called a collective bargaining agreement.

Through a series of steps, the bargaining unit of employees demonstrates to the employer that a majority of them wish to work under the protection of a union contract by certifying the union as their exclusive collective bargaining agent.

Union Organizing is not the same as recruitment. Recruitment is a byproduct of organizing.

What's an Authorization Card?

The law demands that employees prove that a majority of them want the union to represent them for the purpose of collective bargaining. One of the ways to prove majority support for the Union and secure commitments from the musicians is with the use of an Authorization Card. The cards are confidential. The union guarantees that nobody will see the cards, especially the employer. The AFM has been most successful using authorization cards because in a primarily free-lance industry, the identities of union supporters need to be protected. However, the more public display of support for the union, through the use of a petition where employee support is open can build a strong sense of purpose and solidarity among the employees.