Neighborhood activists, religious leaders and elected officials know that when workers have a voice on the job, the entire community wins. To help workers form unions, community allies:  

q       Officially endorse the workers’ effort to form a union.

q       Show outrage when workers are treated unfairly.

q       Sign a letter or petition to the workers supporting their freedom to form a union, assuring them that the community stands with them.

q       Make their views known to employers that are intimidating or harassing workers. Write letters, make phone calls or sign petitions urging employers to remain neutral and abide by fair ground rules.

q       Write opinion editorials and letters to the editor of the local newspaper supporting workers’ efforts.

q       Monitor the workplace. Form a fact-finding delegation of community members who investigate allegations of unfairness in the organizing process and issue a report.

q       Hold a workers’ rights board hearing, press conference, speak-out or other public event to expose why the workers want a union and what happened when they tried to form one.

q       Inform and engage members and constituents of their organizations. Encourage them to sign petitions and write letters of support. Announce the campaign in meetings and newsletters. Arrange for workers to speak at meetings and events.

q       Help workers form a union by joining them on house visits, making phone calls and distributing leaflets.

q       Join workers at rallies, press conferences and marches to the workplace.

q       Agree to oversee majority signup (sometimes called a "card check") so workers can demonstrate their support for forming a union by signing cards or petitions — a process that avoids the delay-plagued National Labor Relations Board process.

q       Recognize local employers that do respect workers’ choice to form a union.

q       Work for the Employee Free Choice Act and other legislation that supports workers’ rights and their fair choice on having a union.

q       Help mobilize other people of good will to support workers’ rights.

q       Once workers win their union election, encourage employers to come to the table and bargain a contract quickly and fairly.