Through its over 100 years of existence LIUNA has developed the skills and resources necessary to represent its members at the highest level. Through great leadership from our General President, Terrence O’Sullivan to our over 500,000 members, LIUNA has proven to be a driving force in giving employees a voice in the workplace. Below is a list of reasons why you deserve the Laborers’ as your collective bargaining representative:

• A Union Contract - After union recognition is established a Representative from the Local Union and the District Council will hold a series of meetings to talk to the employees about what THEY would like to see in their contract. Always remember that EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE. We are not promising you anything, but we are guaranteeing that we will work as hard as we can to negotiate a contract that you will be happy with. Whether it is a pay raise, medical benefits or a pension we will fight as hard as we can to get a good contract. Without the Laborers’ you have no Law Binding Contract. Your employer can promise you everything, but he/she does not HAVE to give you anything. With a union contract the employer MUST abide by the terms and conditions of the contract.
  
• A High Standard of Union Representation - Through our highly trained Field Representatives we will assist you in all matters concerning hours worked, working conditions and wages. We will stand behind you in ALL grievance and disciplinary actions to ensure that you get the fair treatment you lawfully deserve. We will make sure that all steps of a contractual grievance procedure are followed and we will represent you through out all of those steps.
  
• An Army of over 800,000 members strong - Through our over 100 years of existence we have grown to be one of the strongest and powerful unions in North America. We are well respected within the AFL-CIO and our bargaining strength is where it is at today due to our ever-growing membership.
  
• A Voice in Politics - We have fought on the floors of Congress to influence our legislatures to pass bills that will make America’s work force more safe and more profitable for both the employees and the employers. In Illinois we have fought hard and established a “Majority Interest Petition” within the Illinois Labor Relations Act which allows union certification to be based solely on Majority Support (50% plus 1). Also, we have given the Right of Representation to over 35,000 public sector employees with the passage of House Bill 2577. LIUNA fights in the halls of every State House in America to ensure that labor friendly laws are passed to better benefit our hard working members. In the Midwest Regional Office we have a Governmental Affairs Department that is constantly lobbying in all seven states to ensure that our members are properly represented in State Government.
  
• You Are No Longer An “At Will” Employee - Currently, without the Laborers’ you are considered an “At Will” employee. You exist “at the will of your employer.” As an “At Will” employee you can be terminated or disciplined with or without “Just Cause.” For example, if your employer is an elected official and he or she loses an election you CANNOT be terminated by the individual who got elected, if you have union representation. A change of the employer doses not constitute “Just Cause.” With a union contract an employer has to establish “Just Cause” before any disciplinary action is taken against an employee. The Laborers’ will ensure that all disciplinary action is “just” and if it is not we will fight it with grievances and we will stand behind you 100% .
  
• Want Employment Insurance? - You buy insurance for you car, you buy some insurance for your home, your life and a lot of times you buy insurance for those things that are most valuable to you. Why not buy insurance for the one thing that pays for all of these things, YOUR JOB? Joining the Laborers’ is like buying insurance for your job!
  
• Health Benefits - Most employers do not provide health insurance and the majority that do, do it through union collective bargaining agreements. We will make every attempt to negotiate a health insurance plan into your collective bargaining agreement.
  
• Pension Benefits - All indicators point to Social Security becoming inadequate to provide for retirement income. LIUNA will make every attempt to negotiate a pension plan into you collective bargaining agreement to provide for your retirement.
  
• LIUNA’s Health and Safety Fund - LIUNA’s Health and Safety fund is constantly working with employers through out the United States to ensure that our members are working in safe working environments.
  
• Training - LIUNA constantly offers training of all types for our members. We conduct stewards training sessions for public employee and non construction members on a regular basis.