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A Seattle labor union or trade union is an organization of workers. The union, through its leadership, bargains with employers on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety, and work policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the union members, the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers.

Private Sector Employees

If you work in the private sector and want a union to represent you at your workplace, or if you no longer wish a union to continue representing you, you must start by filing a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In order to file a petition with the NLRB, the petition must be accompanied by evidence demonstrating that the petition has the support of at least 30% of your fellow employees. This support usually will be in the form of dated signatures from interested employees who indicate by individual cards or signature sheets that they are interested in being represented by a particular union or ending a union's representational role. The NLRB will then conduct a government-sponsored election.

For more information on filing a union organization or decertification petition and who is eligible to vote in the election, please access the procedures guide and scroll down until you see the heading "Representation Petitions and NLRB Elections." You may also wish to view information about what to expect when a petition is filed.

Federal Government Employees

If you work for the federal government and have questions or complaints about federal unions, please contact the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA). The FLRA is the federal agency responsible for the regulation of federal labor unions under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute.

State and Local Government Employees

If you are an employee of a state or local government and have an issue regarding the rights and obligations of unions, you may wish to contact the Information Officer of the NLRB Regional Office located nearest to your job. They will then refer you to the state or local government agency, if any, which regulates labor relations issues involving state and local government employees.

You may wish to view the following online resources for unions:

• Business.gov - Unions - This webpage provides information about employer responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which defines the rights of employees to organize and to bargain collectively with their employers through representatives of their own choosing.
• Department of Labor (DOL) - Labor Unions - This page provides a shortcut to information and services the DOL offers labor unions.
• Employment Law Guide: Union Members - Information from the DOL regarding who is covered under union laws, basic provisions/requirements, employee rights, penalties/sanctions, and more.
• Online Public Disclosure Room - On this DOL webpage you can view and print reports filed by unions, union officers and employees, employers, and labor relations consultants for the year 2000 and after. You may also order reports for the year 1999 and prior, and search the union annual financial reports for the year 2000 and after.
• Union Elections - Information from DOL about the laws and regulations regarding the election of union officers.
• Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) - The OLMS of the DOL's Employment Standards Administration administers and enforces most provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), which was created to ensure basic standards of democracy and fiscal responsibility in labor unions.

You may also wish to view information on how to file a complaint against a labor union