Across the country, union officials who have been experiencing a decline in union membership have been orchestrating so-called "corporate campaigns" to compel employers to hand over their workers and allow them to be shoved into union ranks. Often in these situations, the workers are caught in the struggle between the union and the company and are left in the dark about their rights.

You should learn about your rights from independent sources and should not rely on what self-interested union officials tell you.

You are not alone. If you feel that your rights have been violated or just want advice about them, contact the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation toll free at 1-800-336-3600, via email or by clicking here.

For over four decades, the National Right to Work Foundation has worked in the courts to expand and protect the rights of individual employees in such situations. It is the nation’s premier organization exclusively dedicated to providing free legal assistance to employee victims of forced unionism abuse.

Healthcare employees should know they have the following rights:

(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the card’s purpose.

(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card.

You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. That letter, card, or petition should be turned over to your employer.

(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.

If you oppose union representation, signing and circulating such a petition against unionization is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation. Click here to see a Sample Petition.

In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion or misrepresentation. The Foundation takes no position about how you should exercise your right to join a union or refrain from joining a union. The Foundation simply wants all employees to be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.

Go to the Foundation’s "Know Your Legal Rights" page or contact a National Right to Work Foundation staff attorney toll free at 1-800-336-3600, or via email or click here to learn more about your rights today.