A union is an organized group of workers who come together to make decisions about the conditions of their work. Through union membership, workers can impact wages, work hours, benefits, workplace health and safety, and other work-related issues. Under U.S. law, workers of all ages have the right to join a union. Having support from the union to ensure fair treatment in the workplace is one of the key reasons people join.

Many of the benefits and protections workers in all industries rely on today came about as a result of union efforts. These include the minimum wage, social security payments, an eight-hour day, weekends, overtime pay, protection from discrimination for people with disabilities and health and safety protections. For more information about unions, go to the AFL-CIO website.

Young farmworkers and unions.

Farmworkers work in one of the most dangerous industries in the U.S., which has a fatal accident rate four times higher than the rate in all other private industries. For more information about farmworkers, click here.

Unions can help farmworkers earn higher wages and establish better working conditions. Some of the things that unions have won for farmworkers have been requirements for: rest periods, clean drinking water, hand washing facilities, protective clothing against pesticide exposure, and banning pesticide straying while workers are in the fields. Unions can also help new workers learn effective strategies for protecting their rights on the job.

Joining a union.

There may already be a union which represents the workers at your workplace. Some workplaces require all the workers hired to become union members and some workplaces do not. You can ask your boss or your co-workers if there is a union at your job and which one it is. If there is a union at your job, find out what your rights are. Contact the union or shop steward (a fellow worker who has been elected to help other workers with union issues) and ask for a copy of your union contract. This is a contract between the union and your employer. It will detail your rights and benefits. To cover the costs of running an organization, each member must pay monthly dues.

Remember: All workers have the right to join a union, including those without documents to work in the U.S.

Back to For Teens in Agriculture