Why a Union with OPEIU?
Need a Union
Unions Make A Difference
Office and Professional Employees International Union was chartered in 1945 and with over 100,000 members strong, we’re one of the larger unions of the AFL-CIO. OPEIU has local unions in every state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. You are not alone when you join with OPEIU. Click here to find an OPEIU Local Union where you live.
OPEIU members work in many settings as varied as banking and credit unions, insurance, higher education, shipping, hospitals, nursing homes, medical clinics, social services, utilities, transportation, manufacturing, hotels, offices and more.
Professional organizations and guilds affiliated with the OPEIU are a diverse group which includes physicians, optometrists, pharmacists, chiropractors, appraisers, podiatrists, clinical social workers, biofeedback practitioners, acupuncturists, hypnotists and helicopter pilots. Affiliation with the OPEIU has given these groups more legislative clout and greater access to people who need their services.
Unions Make A Difference
| Union | Nonunion | |
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A Voice |
Only union members enjoy the legal right and power to have a say on the job. | Management has exclusive control and decision making power. |
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Wages |
Pay rates are negotiated to ensure fairness for everyone and protected in the union contract. Seniority is recognized. | Management alone decides what’s fair pay and can base any raises on business needs, favoritism or anything else. |
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Benefits |
Protected by the contract. Changes can only be made with employee approval. | Can be taken away or changed at any time. |
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Promotions & |
Awarded fairly according to the process agreed to in the union contract. | It’s up to management. |
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Unfair Treatment |
Employees have a protected way to challenge any unfair or questionable treatment with support and representation from their union. Just cause standards are applied with binding arbitration if the parties can’t agree. | You’re on your own. Any grievance process gives management the last word. |
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Working |
Schedules, vacations, workload, subcontracting, work standards, layoff procedures, hours of work are all agreed to between workers and the employer and protected in the contract. | Management decides what’s best for employees. |
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Protections & Guarantees |
Only union workers enjoy a legally-binding written agreement with their employer that defines, protects, and guarantees all terms of employment. | Nonunion workers have no guarantees and no protections. |
Did you know?
Not only do union workers command more respect and have a voice on the job, they also get better wages and benefits.