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Working Without Contract FAQs

The document discusses workers' rights when a contract expires including what expires, what doesn't expire, mandatory subjects of bargaining, enforcing the status quo, protecting oneself from discipline, additional actions workers can take, and prohibited actions.

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WXYZ-TV Detroit
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4K views1 page

Working Without Contract FAQs

The document discusses workers' rights when a contract expires including what expires, what doesn't expire, mandatory subjects of bargaining, enforcing the status quo, protecting oneself from discipline, additional actions workers can take, and prohibited actions.

Uploaded by

WXYZ-TV Detroit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Working Without A Contract | Know Your Rights

Frequently Asked Questions


1. What expires upon contract expiration?
• Arbitration (but not the grievance procedure)
• Management Rights
• Union security (but not dues checkoff)
• No strike/no lockout
2. What does not expire upon contract expiration?
Other than the items listed above, the terms and conditions in the contract continue
to apply when it expires. Those terms and conditions make up the status quo. The
company cannot make unilateral changes to any mandatory subject of bargaining
that is part of the status quo. The parties must bargain over changes to the status
quo.
3. What are mandatory subjects of bargaining?
Mandatory subjects of bargaining are things that directly impact wages, hours, or
working conditions. The list is long.
• Examples include wages, overtime pay, shift premium, incentive pay, bonuses,
break time, seniority, health and safety, vacation, personal time, health benefits,
pension, profit-sharing, subcontracting, work rules, price of food in snack
machines…
4. How do I help enforce the status quo?
• Be on the lookout for any changes to work rules or any other mandatory subjects
of bargaining. Report any changes to your committeeperson.
5. If we don’t have a right to arbitrate disputes, how do I protect myself
from being disciplined?
• Carefully follow all standard operating procedures, safety policies and supervisor’s
instructions.
• Call for a committeeperson if you are disciplined, asked to do work you are not
trained to do or asked to do work that is unsafe.
6. What else can I do?
• Attend Local Union meetings to learn more about your right to engage in
protected concerted activities with your co-workers and to help plan those
activities at your plant.
• Refuse voluntary overtime.
7. What can’t I do?
• Engage in a partial strike: You cannot do your regular work very slowly or do only
some of your job duties and refuse to do others. An example of a partial strike is
refusing to work mandatory overtime.
• Distribute leaflets that disparage the quality of the company’s products.
• Damage company property.
• Threaten anyone, including supervisors or other employees, with physical harm.

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