FAQ

The NLRB will mail a ballot to the home of every employee who is eligible to vote. Ballots were mailed out on February 13. If you do not receive a ballot within a few days you can request a new one be sent to you. More information about the ballot and election can be found here:

Vote by Mail Process

There is a membership fee called dues, and each union has the right to set its own dues amount and raise their dues as outlined in its constitution and bylaws. On average, dues cost 1.27% of the employee’s base salary. Dues can be as high as $72.35 per month. If you’d like to see an estimate based on your own salary you can find a dues calculator on our website here:

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Dues Calculator

The union is a business, so like any other business, it would decide how its revenue is spent. How much dues cost and how that money is spent are part of the rights unions are granted under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

If a union wins an election to speak for you, there would be a group of individuals who sit down and negotiate the terms of the contract. Typically, this would be made up of some CCS leadership and the union’s negotiating team – which could include certain employees. It might be a good idea to consider who the union has on their bargaining committee, how many contracts they have negotiated and how long they have worked with CCS and our industry.

Going on strike is considered a voluntary work stoppage, and therefore employees who go on strike typically do not get paid from their employers, cannot use PTO, and usually do not qualify for unemployment. Some unions have a strike fund, where employees may be paid for actively picketing during the strike, though this compensation can be subject to certain conditions. Unions often will warn their members to save money to be financially prepared for a strike.

The terms of any collective bargaining agreement (union contact) are negotiated by the union and organizational leadership, and there is no way to know how those negotiations will go. The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that union organizers and supporters are allowed to make promises during campaigns, even if the outcome of collective bargaining is uncertain. You can ask union organizers to put promises in writing to help identify what’s guaranteed and what’s simply campaign promises – if they won’t put it in writing, can they guarantee results?

Keep in mind that while CCS can express its desire for the organization to remain union free, we must share factual information – along with our opinion about unionizing. The union does not have the same requirements under the law, and may make promises to employees.

The union is protected for at least one year after winning an election (and the election being certified by the NLRB). If a contract is negotiated between CCS and the union before that first year is up, with three years being typical for a contract, the union would be protected for about four years – meaning employees would not have an opportunity to vote the union out until 90 days before the contract expires.

This is not like a political election where you have a regular opportunity to change your representative. Voting in a union usually means they speak for you about your pay, benefits and working conditions forever.

To win an election, the union needs a simple majority (50% +1) of the votes actually cast by employees. For example, there are about 250 employees in the voting unit and if only 100 of them vote, the union would need 51 votes to win. If the union wins – no matter how many employees actually voted, ALL would be represented by the union, even those who voted “No” or did not vote.

Dues are the fees that unions charge for their services of speaking for employees. In Oregon, union are allowed to negotiate a clause in the contract that would make paying dues a condition of your employment. AFSCME has clauses like this in most or all of its contracts.

There is no requirement in the NLRA that dues be spent in ways that benefit members. Unions are required to file a financial report (called an LM-2) which has information about how much money a union has collected and how it was spent.

For example, in 2022, AFSCME Oregon spent 18.4% of its revenue on political activities and lobbying.

Like wages, benefits are also a mandatory subject of bargaining, which means they are negotiated. There’s no way to know what would change or stay the same. Negotiations have uncertain outcomes, and employees may end up with the same, with more, or with less than they currently have from their employer.

The union has no power to unilaterally change salaries, benefits and working conditions, because no changes could take place unless and until CCS agrees to them. A union could not force CCS to make any changes in wages, benefits, or other terms and conditions of employment. We believe that because we operate as non-profit service organization, with limited revenue, the union would not be able to negotiate higher wages and benefits than we already have now.

We believe that we can better address any issues or concerns by working directly with our employees, rather than through an outside party that is unfamiliar with our facility, employees, clients, and culture. We also prefer to have the flexibility to try things that we think will benefit our employees and clients, and to change them quickly if we find they aren’t a good fit. With a union contract anything negotiated would not be changed until the contract is renegotiated, typically every three years. Employees who aren’t happy with something negotiated in the contract would be stuck with it and we don’t think that’s in any employee’s best interest. We would love to continue working with you directly about any issues you raise.

Per federal law, unions are allowed to make promises to you – just like politicians often do during campaigns.

Ultimately, it comes down to what employees believe – promises from the union or what CCS already provides.

If a majority of employees choose collective bargaining, and the NLRB certifies that result, they may gain more, stay the same, or receive less – these are the risks of collective bargaining. We’re not sure what the union is promising, but be aware that the NLRB says it is legal for the union to make promises to you because union promises are like political ones. The union has no way of guaranteeing anything, because it must get CCS’s agreement to make any changes to wages, benefits or working conditions.

Absolutely! Everyone who is eligible to vote should exercise their right to tell the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) whether or not they want a union to speak for them. The outcome of the vote will impact everyone in the voting unit, whether or not they submitted their ballot and whether or not they want a union. If you signed a union card and later changed your mind, you may still vote No. The union card is not a vote.

Many employees think that having a union automatically means more money. The truth is that wages are a mandatory subject of bargaining – which means that the union and management go back and forth to try to reach an agreement about pay, benefits and working conditions. We have no way of knowing what employees might end up with after negotiations. Also there is no time limit to how long that process can take, and on average takes about 18 months to reach an agreement in the health care and social services industries.

Union dues pay for running the union’s business, including union employees’ salaries, benefits, perks, etc. Your union dues would also fund AFSCME’s efforts to organize new members, just like its current members’ dues are paying for its attempt to organize you right now. What union dues do not pay for are any wages or benefits for members, as even with union representation, your wages and benefits would continue to be paid for by CCS – as they are now.

In a union contract, seniority is often the deciding factor in determining how schedules are made, which holidays employees will have off, and what time off is granted. Employees with less seniority may struggle to receive their preferred time off under a union contract, which typically prioritizes seniority when determining things like time off requests.

Based on its constitution and bylaws, a union may have the right to fine or discipline members who cross the picket line to work during a union-called strike. The amount of the fines is up to the union. Keep in mind that while on strike, employees would not be paid, couldn’t use PTO, and may not collect unemployment (in most states – including Oregon).

If the union wins the election to speak for you in our workplace, you may not opt out of the contract the union negotiates on your behalf – about your pay, benefits and terms and conditions of employment. 

Oregon is not a right-to-work state, meaning you cannot simply opt out of paying dues. You would have to adhere to the collective bargaining agreement (union contract) once it’s agreed to between the union and CCS.

Under federal law, if the union wins the election it would represent every employee who was eligible to vote – whether they voted for the union, against the union or did not vote. So it’s important that every person eligible to vote submits their ballot so their voice is heard.