To: All Represented BMRF/B&P Employees
Re: Union Dues & Decertification Petitions
The Company is committed to providing you accurate information on the upcoming election. We know there are a lot of questions out there, so we are providing a series of FAQs on this process.
Q: Are non-dues paying members of the USW allowed to vote in the upcoming election?
Yes. All USW-represented employees are eligible to vote in the upcoming election, regardless of whether or not they are Union members. This means that the ~20% of employees who do not pay dues can and should vote on whether they want to be represented by the Union.
Q: Some employees have told us that they plan on pulling their dues authorization after a contract is ratified. Could the Company withdraw recognition from the USW if more than 50% of employees were to revoke their dues authorization?
No. This is a common misconception, but the number of dues-paying members has nothing to do with the Company’s ability to withdraw recognition. If the Union is not decertified, the Company would have to continue to bargain with the Union no matter the number of dues-paying members.
Q: What would happen if 50% or more of employees were to sign the decertification petition prior to the election?
If an employee submitted a petition(s) with signatures showing 50% or more of employees no longer wish to be represented by USW, the Company could withdraw recognition from the USW, and the Union would no longer represent the employees; however, if an election was conducted before the same petition was submitted, the results of the election would bind the parties.
Q: What would happen if employees voted to keep the Union in the upcoming election, but later submitted the same 50% or more decertification petition to the Company? Could the Company withdraw recognition from the USW?
No. As mentioned above, the results of the election would control, and no new election could be held for at least one year after the prior election. Additionally, if employees do not decertify the Union and a contract were ratified, employees cannot decertify the Union during the first three years of the contract.
Any questions related to the employee led decertification effort can be submitted to Beaumont Area HR Department at Beaumont.Area.HR@exxonmobil.com.