Myth vs. Fact
MYTH |
FACT |
| If you vote for UAW they will get you a pension. |
FALSE. UAW has made this promise before, but the fact is no UAW members at the Detroit 3 hired after fall 2007 have a pension. Those workers have a 401(k) retirement plan just like MBUSI Team Members. |
| UAW offers job protection. |
FALSE. Thousands of UAW members have been laid off from the Detroit 3 since last year’s strikes and they have been vocal about their anger with the union: “I am very angry. I am very disgusted with the union, knowing that all of us were a part of the union, knowing that we were paying dues to have no protection. It is not only disheartening, but it is disgusting what they are doing to people.” – Ashley Wilmoth, former Stellantis employee |
| UAW organizers will know how I vote. |
FALSE. No one will know how you vote and you are allowed to vote however you want. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) manages the election and they make sure voting is safe, secure and secret. |
| If you already signed a card, you don’t need to vote. |
FALSE. Signing a card is not the same as casting a vote. Whether you signed a card or not, you still need to vote to make sure your voice is heard. And, even if you signed a card, you can still vote “no” for the union. |
| If you don’t want the union you don’t need to vote. |
FALSE. The election is decided by voters. Unless you want the union at MBUSI, you need to vote “no” in the election to make sure your voice is heard. |
| Union stewards have to keep things confidential and have to support me when I have issues. |
FALSE. Union stewards are fellow Team Members and are usually the strongest union supporters. They get a lot of information about Team Members and aren’t required to keep it confidential. They also don’t have to support you or pass your issues along to the union – they can decide what they think matters most. Also, union stewards often get a “super seniority” status in the labor contract, which means they get top choices for things like schedules/shifts and time off and are the most protected against job loss. |
| UAW says temporary workers can’t vote in the NLRB election because it will tie up the legal appeals. The union says it will let MBUSI workers lead the way and then fight to add temporary workers after the fact. |
FALSE. UAW never included temporary workers in the proposed bargaining unit. It was the union’s choice to exclude these Team Members from the bargaining unit and the right to vote. |
| If the union gets in, union stewards get "super seniority." | IT’S POSSIBLE. We are unable to predict exactly what will be in a labor contract, but many are governed by seniority and frequently union stewards do get what is called "super seniority" where they are able to "jump the line" in getting preferred shifts, PTO, holidays, overtime, and more. |
| Our relationship with Group Leaders won’t change if we have a union. | FALSE. If UAW is elected, they become the exclusive representative for Team Members. This means that all MBUSI leaders, including Group Leaders would not be allowed to have what’s called “direct dealings” with Team Members about things covered under the labor contract, which could include schedules, time off, pay, and other benefits. |
| I can vote with an absentee ballot if I am off work or on a leave during the election. | FALSE. Voting is in-person only and there are no absentee ballots. This is just part of the NLRB process. Team Members who are off work or on a leave of absence are allowed and encouraged to come in and vote. |
| Union supporters and MBUSI leaders will be in the room when we vote. | FALSE. The only people who will be in the room when you vote are the NLRB agent(s) who are running the election, possibly other eligible voters and observers, who are co-workers that are not union employees or MBUSI leaders. No one will be able to see how you vote – you will fill out your ballot in private and put it in ballot box to be mixed with everyone else’s. |
| MBUSI management has different healthcare benefits than Team Members. | FALSE. MBUSI management has the exact same healthcare benefit options as MBUSI Team Members, including Premise Health, Curaechoice, BlueCross BlueShield, and Teledoc. |