Organize!

private sector local unions

NYSUT represents working people in education, health care and municipal professions.

You have the legal right to organize a union in your workplace.

This right is guaranteed by the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the New York State Constitution and, if you are a public employee, by the New York State Taylor Law. It’s illegal for your employer to require you to discuss your feelings about forming a union or to discipline you in any way for exercising your right to join a union.

You have the legal right to:

  • Sign a union card and attend meetings to discuss forming a union.
  • Hand out written union materials on non-work time (breaks, etc) in non-work areas such as the cafeteria or staff lounge.
  • Join the hundreds of thousands of fellow NYSUT members who have formed a local union to ensure dignity, respect and a voice in the workplace. 

What It Means To Be a NYSUT Member: It’s important to know that when you and your co-workers organize a union with NYSUT that in most cases you are forming your own brand-new union that is affiliated with NYSUT. NYSUT provides support, advocacy, and expert negotiation and legal assistance as needed, but ultimately it is you and your co-workers who will control the negotiations process and vote on a contract that suits your needs. This independent structure means that you control the process, but it also requires active participation from all union members to maintain a strong voice in the workplace and advocate for your needs and the needs of the students/clients/patients you serve. Learn more about our union.

I'm interested in learning about how to form a local union through NYSUT.

Complete the form below if you are interested in forming a union at your current workplace, one of our organizers will follow up with you. All inquiries are confidential.