Voting
You have federally protected rights throughout the process of signing an authorization card. Authorization cards are confidential. Not only will the Company never see the authorization cards, but it is also illegal for management to ask you if you have signed a card during this organizing and election process.
Your voice
Contract Negotiations
If the Deck Officer decides to join the M.E.B.A., the Deck Officers would be afforded the right to provide input on contract negotiations, be part of the negotiating committee, and sit at the table during bargaining.
Contract Voting
Once a draft contract is negotiated with the company, Deck Officers have the opportunity to vote to either approve or reject the contract. If the contract is approved by a majority of the Deck Officers, then it goes into effect. rejected, the Union goes back to the table to secure an agreement the Deck Officers find favorable.
Union Elections
You elect your union officials every 4 years. This gives each M.E.B.A. member a direct voice in how their Union is managed.
FAQ:
NLRB Elections Process
- How it works
NLRB Election Process
After 30% or more OSG/ATC licensed deck officers sign M.E.B.A. authorization cards, the M.E.B.A. can file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB—the Federal Agency charged with enforcing the National Labor Relations Act).
The petition requests the NLRB to conduct a secret-ballot election to determine whether a majority of you want to be represented by the M.E.B.A. in order to negotiate a labor contract on your behalf.
To win the election, it is a simple majority of votes cast.
NLRB election processes ensure that no one will know how you voted, or even if you voted—neither OSG/ATC, nor the M.E.B.A., nor your co-workers.
Runoff Elections
In an election where there are three (3) or more choices on the ballot (e.g., Union X, Union Y or ‘No Union’, and none of the choices receives a majority of votes cast, the NLRB will conduct a “runoff election” between the choices that received highest and next-highest number of votes.
The choice that receives a majority of votes cast in the runoff election will be the winner. After winning the union election, the Company must recognize that Union and commence negotiations for a labor contract.
The M.E.B.A. will use its resources and professional staff to help you negotiate a contract with OSG/ATC. The M.E.B.A. will form a bargaining committee of OSG/ATC LDO’s to assist in the bargaining process with OSG/ATC. This will give LDOs a direct voice in the bargaining process, and any negotiated contract must be voted up by the majority of OSG/ATC LDO’s before taking effect.
Authorization Cards
Authorization cards designate the M.E.B.A. as your representative for purposes of collective bargaining.
The M.E.B.A. asks that all Licensed Deck Officers sign authorization cards as an indication of their support for the M.E.B.A.
Authorization cards are confidential. Not only will the Company never see the authorization cards, but it is also illegal for management to ask you if you have signed a card during this organizing and election process.
Authorization cards must include your name, contact info, and job title.
Signing an authorization card DOES NOT—
- make you a member of M.E.B.A. (that happens after a successful election via your application for membership); or
- trigger any obligation to pay union dues (those begin only after a contract is ratified by the OSG/ATC Deck Officers).
Authorization cards can be physical paper cards – or they can be electronically signed and submitted to the M.E.B.A.