High quality packaging solutions for complex drug molecule packaging needs

Get the Facts About Unions

Get the Facts About Unions

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We understand that many of our team members may not have had much or any interaction with unions, so it is important to us that you have all the facts and information you need to make the critically important decision about whether or not you want to work under union representation.

Here is some important information about unions:

  • A union is a third-party group that speaks on behalf of all eligible employees as to nearly all matters related to your employment, otherwise known as your terms and conditions of employment.
    • FACT: If certified, the union becomes your voice, and you will no longer be able to work with your supervisors directly regarding your individual terms and conditions of employment.
  • Teamsters Local 406 is the union that filed the election petition for our Grand Rapids site.
    • FACT: Teamsters Local 406 doesn't require employees who serve as "stewards" to pay union dues, so it pays those dues out of the pocket of other dues-paying members.
  • The union is looking to represent our hourly team members, including materials coordinators, warehouse coordinators, lead quality coordinators, automation lead technicians, production leads, warehouse leads, mold makers, operator-assemblers, production trainers, automation technicians, engineering technicians, maintenance technicians, micro technicians, production technicians and quality technicians.
  • Unions fund their business with dues from members that are usually automatically deducted from employee paychecks.
    • FACT: Your dues could be used to fund things you may not support, such as political campaigns or candidates.
  • Unions make a lot of promises, but one thing unions can’t give team members are guarantees. Decisions about unionized employees' employment would have to be negotiated during a process called "collective bargaining."
  • During collective bargaining, team members could end up with more, the same, or less than they have now.
    • FACT: Once in a union, employee compensation can increase, decrease or stay the same, and in the final agreement, the union could negotiate away current conditions or benefits that matter a lot to you.
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Get the Facts – Union Cards

Maybe you didn't know about the union cards. Or, maybe you signed a card, and are having second thoughts. Here is a guide to know your rights when it comes to union cards.

What is a union card?

A union authorization card is signed by an employee to indicate the employee’s desire to be represented by a union. For a petition to be filed, at least 30% of the team members of a location would have to sign a card to move forward towards a union vote.

Can I vote No if I signed a union card?

Yes. Even if you signed a union card, you have the right to vote No in a union representation election. This means you do not want third-party representation, and you choose to continue working directly with the company. Voting will take place via a secret ballot process. No one will know how you voted unless you choose to tell them.

Can I vote even if I did not sign a union card?

Yes. All employees in the following classifications ARE eligible to vote, regardless of whether they signed a union card or did not sign a card: Materials coordinators, warehouse coordinators, lead quality coordinators, automation lead technicians, production leads, warehouse leads, mold makers, operator-assemblers, production trainers, automation technicians, engineering technicians, maintenance technicians, micro technicians, production technicians and quality technicians.

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Get the Facts – Union Dues and What Could Your Money Do?

Union representation means paying a third party to speak for you – and those dues that come out of your paycheck add up quickly.

Before you commit to paying, make sure you understand exactly what you are getting in return. It’s important to note that the union cannot guarantee how the bargaining process will go – you could end up with less, the same or more than you have now.

But even if you voted no for the union, if the total votes are in their favor, you will be required to pay them each month. It’s also important to remember, that your dues could be used to fund something you don’t support – such as political campaigns or candidates.

Let’s do the math…and you can decide if this is a good spend of your money.

If you make $20 an hour, you will pay $600 annually in dues – that is $1,800 over a three-year contract!

Instead of paying $1,800 in union dues, you could buy…

    515 gallons of gas at $3.50/gallon
    24 trips to the grocery store, spending $75 each time
    12 months of a $150 phone plan
    CCI- Regulatory Expectations for Pharmaceutical Packaging10.3 years of a standard Netflix subscription

It’s important to ask yourself…do you really want to pay for someone else to speak for you, when you can speak for yourself for free?

Get the Facts – What comes next?

As you know, the Teamsters Local 406 filed an election petition for West’s Grand Rapids site, so what happens next? Here are the next steps on what you can expect in this process

  1. The election is scheduled to be held on November 7 and 9. We will communicate to all our team members the exact date and location of the union election.
  2. Leading up to that election date, we will continue to educate our team members on the facts about union representation.
  3. We will continue to frequently and transparently communicate, and strongly encourage our team members to ask questions and make their voices heard by voting.
  4. We will strongly encourage all our team members to vote! If you don’t vote, you are giving others the power to make decisions about your paycheck and your life at work.
  5. On the voting dates, our team members will cast their vote by secret ballot on whether or not they want to be represented by a union. No one will know how you voted unless you choose to tell someone.

 

At West, we fully respect the union-organizing process but don’t believe unions are the best path for our team members or our company. We believe we can do more for our team members through maintaining a transparent, direct relationship with them.