Authorization Cards

Definition

Authorization cards are a key component of the labor relations process, serving as official documentation that grants specific rights and privileges to employees within a unionized workplace. These cards play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining the collective bargaining relationship between workers and their employer.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Authorization cards are used by workers to demonstrate their support for union representation and their desire to engage in collective bargaining with their employer.
2. The NLRB requires that a majority of workers in a proposed bargaining unit sign valid authorization cards before a union can be certified to represent the employees.
3. Authorization cards provide workers with the legal right to participate in union activities, such as attending meetings, voting in union elections, and filing grievances.
4. Employers are prohibited from interfering with or coercing employees during the authorization card signing process, as this would constitute an unfair labor practice.
5. The successful acquisition of authorization cards is a critical first step in the labor relations process, as it lays the foundation for the establishment of a collective bargaining relationship.

Review Questions

• Explain the purpose of authorization cards in the labor relations process.
  • Authorization cards serve as official documentation that demonstrates a worker's support for union representation and their desire to engage in collective bargaining with their employer. These cards are a crucial first step in the labor relations process, as the NLRB requires that a majority of workers in a proposed bargaining unit sign valid authorization cards before a union can be certified to represent the employees. The successful acquisition of authorization cards grants workers the legal right to participate in union activities, such as attending meetings, voting in union elections, and filing grievances.
• Describe the role of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the authorization card process.
  • The NLRB plays a central role in the authorization card process, as it is the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws related to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. The NLRB oversees the administration of union representation elections and requires that a majority of workers in a proposed bargaining unit sign valid authorization cards before a union can be certified to represent the employees. The NLRB also prohibits employers from interfering with or coercing employees during the authorization card signing process, as this would constitute an unfair labor practice.
• Analyze the significance of authorization cards in establishing a collective bargaining relationship between workers and their employer.
  • Authorization cards are a critical component in the establishment of a collective bargaining relationship between workers and their employer. The successful acquisition of authorization cards by a union lays the foundation for this relationship, as it demonstrates the employees' support for union representation and their desire to engage in collective bargaining. Without a majority of workers signing valid authorization cards, a union cannot be certified to represent the employees, effectively preventing the establishment of a collective bargaining relationship. Therefore, the authorization card process is a pivotal first step that enables workers to exercise their legal right to unionize and negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment.

Related terms

Collective Bargaining: The process by which workers, through their union, negotiate with employers to determine the terms and conditions of employment, such as wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Union Representation: The legal right of workers to be represented by a labor union in negotiations with their employer, as well as in grievance and disciplinary proceedings.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): The federal agency responsible for enforcing laws related to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices, including the administration of union representation elections.