The labor movement has developed a special vocabulary, or jargon, to describe who we are and what we do. As a student labor activist, you should become acquainted with these terms.

Arbitration: - A way of settling disputes by calling in a third party whose decision is final and binding.

Authorization Card: - A card filled out by pro-union workers during a representation campaign. The card usually specifies the union as a collective bargaining agent of the employees and must be dated and signed.

Bargaining Agent: - Union designated by a government agency, such as the National Labor Relations Board, or recognized voluntarily by the employer, as the exclusive representative of all employees in the bargaining unit for purposes of collective bargaining.

Bargaining Unit: - A group of workers who bargain collectively with the employer. The unit may include all the workers in a single plant or in a number of plants, or it may include only the workers in a single craft or department. Final unit is determined by the NLRB, or agreed to jointly by the union and the employer.

Business Agent: - (B.A., Union Representative): A full-time representative of a local union whose job is to represent workers in the local. In the IWW, these are usually delegates, elected by the membership.

Captive Audience Meeting: - A union term for meetings of workers called by management, on company time and property. Usually the purpose of these meetings is to try to persuade workers to vote against union representation.

Card Check: - Procedure whereby signed authorization cards are checked against a list of employees in a prospective bargaining unit to determine if the union has majority status. The employer may recognize the union on the basis of this check without the necessity of a formal election. Often conducted by an outside party, e.g. respected member of the community.

Certification: - Official designation by a labor board of a labor organization entitled to bargain as exclusive representative of employees in a certain unit.

Check-Off: - A contract clause authorizing the company to deduct union dues from paychecks of those members who so authorize deductions. The company then transfers the money to the unions.

Collective Bargaining: - A process which workers, through their bargaining committee, deal as a group to determine wages and other conditions of employment. Normally, the result of collective bargaining is a written contract which covers all workers in the bargaining unit.

Constitution and Bylaws: - Legal documents governing the administration of local and international unions. Adopted by union conventions or by membership vote, these rules generally cover elections and duties of officers, conventions, committees, and dues.

Contract: - A contract is a written agreement reached through collective bargaining which sets forth wages, hours and other conditions of employment. The contract normally is for a term as short as one year or as long as three; at the end of such a term, a new contract is negotiated.

Decertification: - face="Arial,Helvetica"> Withdrawal by a government agency, such as the National Labor Relations Board, of a union's official recognition as exclusive bargaining representative. The NLRB will withdraw certification if a majority of employees vote against union representative in a decertification election.

Excelsior List: - Established in the case of "Excelsior Underwear", the list of names and addresses of employees eligible to vote in a union election. It is normally provided by the employer to the union within ten days after the election date has been set or agreed upon at the NLRB.

Grievance: - A dispute arising between the employer and the employees.

Grievance Procedure: - A systematic approach to handling workplace problems. The procedure is negotiated into collective bargaining agreements.

House visits, Homecalls, and Housecalls: - Terms used to describe visits by union staff, volunteers, or organizing committee to the homes of workers they are attempting to organize.

Jurisdiction: - The specific industry, craft and/or geographical area which a local union is chartered to organize or represent.

Local Union: - Group of organized employees holding a charter from a national or international labor organization. A local may be confined to union members in one company or one specified locality, or it may cover multiple contracts with various employers.

Lockout: - A denial of employment by the employer for the purpose of forcing the workers to settle on his terms.

Master Contract: - A union contract covering several companies in one industry.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): - Agency created by the National Labor Relations Act, 1935, whose functions are to define the appropriate bargaining units, to hold elections, to determine whether a majority of workers want to be represented by a specific union or no union, to certify unions to represent employees, to interpret and apply the Act's provisions prohibiting certain employer and union unfair practices, and otherwise to administer the provisions of the act.

Officers: - Elected representatives of the union such as president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

Open Shop: - Where employees do not have to belong to the union or pay dues to secure or retain employment in a company, even though there may be a collective bargaining agreement. The Union is obligated by law to represent members and non-members equally regardless of whether it is in an open shop or a union shop.

Organizer (Union or Labor Organizer): - Employee of a union or federation (usually paid but sometimes a volunteer) whose duties include recruiting new members for the union, assisting in forming unions in non-union companies, leading campaigns for recognition, etc.

Organizing Committee: - The employees in a non-union shop who are designated to represent their coworkers during the representation campaign. Organizing committee members, among other things, usually sign up their coworkers on authorization cards or petitions, hand out leaflets, attend meetings and visit workers at home in support of the union effort.

Replacement Workers (Scabs): - Under current labor law, when employees engage in an economic strike, the employer has the right to hire permanent replacements. After the strike has ended, if there is no back to work agreement reached between the union and the employer, employees replaced during the strike are put on a preferential hiring list and must wait for openings to occur.

Piece Work: - Pay by the number of units completed. The theory is that the faster you work, the more you will get paid.

Rank and File: - The members of a union (as opposed to the union officers, executive board, and office staff).

Ratification: - Formal approval of a newly negotiated agreement by vote of the union members affected.

Representation Election (Election): - Election conducted to determine by a majority vote of the employees in an appropriate unit (see Bargaining Unit) which, if any, union is desired as their representative. These elections are usually conducted by the National Labor Relations Board or by state labor relations agencies.

Recognition: - When the employer agrees to recognize the union as the bargaining agent for employees.

"Right-to-work" Laws: - An anti-union term coined to describe state laws which make it illegal for a collective bargaining agreement to contain clauses requiring union membership as a condition of employment.

Scab: - A derogatory term used for a person who refuses to respect a strike and crosses a picket line.

Seniority: - A workers' length of service with the employer. Seniority often determines promotions, recall or transfers.

Servicing: - The day-to-day enforcement of a union contract.

Shop Steward: - A worker, typically elected, who officially represents other workers on the job, enforces the contract and helps people with grievances.

Slowdown: - A reduction of output without an actual strike in order to force a concession from employer.

Speed-Up and Stretch-Out: - An increase in the amount of work an employee is expected to do without an increase in pay. The speed of the machines may be increased (speed-up) or the worker may be required to tend to a greater number of machines (stretch-out).

Stipulation by Consent Agreement (Stip): - An agreement between the employer and the union, sanctioned by
the NLRB, which establishes the terms of the election and scope of the bargaining unit.

Strike: - Temporary stoppage of work by a group of employees (not necessarily members of a union) to express a grievance, enforce a demand for changes in the conditions of employment, obtain recognition, or resolve a dispute with management. Wildcat Strike: a strike not sanctioned by a union.

Unfair Labor Practice (ULP): - Action by either an employer or union which violates the provisions of national and state labor relations acts, such as refusal to bargain in good faith.

Unfair Labor Practice Strike: - A strike caused, at least in part, by an employer's unfair labor practice. During a Unfair Labor Practice Strike, management may only hire temporary replacements, who are let go at the end of a strike.

Union Dues: - Monthly payment by members to their unions. The amount is set by either the constitution or bylaws, and is subject to revision by the membership. Payments are based on fixed amounts or the individual member's hourly rate.

Union Label or Bug: - A stamp or tag on a product or card in a store or shop to show that the work is done by union labor. The "bug" is the printer's symbol.

Union Shop: - Form of union security provided in the collective bargaining agreement which requires employees to belong to or pay dues to the union as a condition of employment.

Volunteer Organizing Committee (V.O.C.): - Term used to describe union members who volunteer for the union during organizing campaigns. Volunteers may donate their time and/or be compensated for lost wages while they assist the campaign by visiting workers at their homes, leafleting, and attending meetings.

Much of the information about salting is taken from the Organizing Institute, AFL-CIO, organizing literature. We have added some additional information our own, as well as the introduction and conclusion. The views of the OI do not necessarily reflect those of the IWW.