QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: What is the basic purpose of a union and the local?
A: The I.B.E.W. and Local 24 bring together fellow electrical workers in the local (formed in a certain geographic area), through which our workers have a greater ability to improve conditions at their workplaces because we are united.

Q: Why are some companies opposed to unions?
A: I.B.E.W. Local 24 challenges unfair or arbitrary decisions made by an employer or company and ensures that individual employees takes part in decisions regarding issues such as hours of work, level of wages and salaries, job assignments and safety. However, some employers might see this as interference or a hindrance to their operations.

Q: What is the operational structure of the union and the local?
A: The I.B.E.W. and Local 24 are democratic organizations run by our members, who elect local and national officers and delegates and vote on issues of importance.

Q: What provisions does a union contract contain?
A: I.B.E.W. Local 24 members decide what goes into a contract with an employer, utilizing a negotiating committee from the membership that sits down with management to bargain a contract “in good faith,” as put forth by law.

Q: Why is union training better?
A: I.B.E.W. Local 24’s training is second to none because we train our members properly and reward them accordingly for learning new skills and upgrading established ones. Additionally, our Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee utilizes certified instructors, ultra-modern facilities and field experience, and we compensate apprentices while they are being trained.

Q: Do the additional union benefits cost more money?
A: I.B.E.W. Local 24’s benefits program offers our members health care security at no expense to them.  Plus, the program not only covers members, it covers members’ families.

Q: Are current benefits lost with new union membership?
A: I.B.E.W. Local 24 works to improve upon any existing wages and benefits, not to lose them – and it is against the law for the employer to retaliate against the union by taking away wages or benefits. That’s why on average, unionized workers earn a third more than non-union workers in wages and benefits.

Q: What can a union guarantee?
A: By sticking together, I.B.E.W. Local 24 members have more bargaining power and more of a voice than they do as individuals. It is against the law for a company to close down simply because a union is voted in.

Q: Do unions often strike?
A: I.B.E.W. Local 24 has never gone on strike. Under the terms of our Agreement, the union and our signatory contractors have agreed to settle all issues through arbitration.