The strength of our Union, which increases in direct correlation to our membership size, allows us to protect members' jobs and living standards. Organizing is the foundation on which our membership is based.

The number of union versus non-union employers in a specific geographic area directly impacts Local 27 contracts. Non-union stores that do not provide decent wages or benefits damage the economic base of the community in which they are located. Conversely, more union stores in an area increase the job security and benefit the economy of the community. More union stores in a given community allows for less disparity in wage and benefit scales which decreases unfair competition among stores and increases the overall benefits to the community.

How does Local 27 organize new units? First of all, over the years we have developed a team of organizers from the membership. This team is trained in effective organizing methods and spends their days (evenings and weekends, too!) searching for new campaigns or working on current ones. We also rely heavily on Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) members and Special Project Union Representatives (SPURs). VOC members work on a volunteer basis for various campaigns. SPURs, on the other hand, take a leave of absence from their employer to work for the Local full-time on a temporary basis for a specific campaign.

Our goal is to provide union representation through collective bargaining so that they may receive fair treatment, a good pay, and decent benefits. Unfortunately, employees simply requesting our help is not enough. Employees must follow the steps outlined by the NLRB in order to attain a voice in their work place. For more information on the steps required, select "Steps to Organizing" on the menu bar.