Welcome to the Delta Utilities & IBEW “Better Together” Website
Why was this site created? This platform was built to connect with Delta Utilities employees, provide clear and factual information about unions, and support efforts to form a union in your workplace.
Our goal is simple: to ensure you and your coworkers have access to the information you need to make an informed decision about coming together to strengthen your voice on the job.
By joining together, you’re not just building solidarity—you’re unlocking the opportunity to secure a seat at the table. That means having a real say in shaping the terms and conditions of your employment at Delta Utilities.
This website is a resource—your resource—for answers, clarity, and support as you consider the path forward.
The IBEW represents its utility members’ interests through Utility Department involvement in legislative, regulatory, and standards development. The department assists 433 Local Unions in Canada and the United States, supporting some 250,000 utility workers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What would the union put into our contract?
It’s important to understand that workers don’t hire a union, or bring in a union, they join together with their co-workers to form the union. The reason they do this is because it’s the only means workers have to compel their employer to bargain with them in good faith for a written contract. The IBEW has experienced representatives and negotiators to lead the way, but the issues proposed by the union during negotiations are those the workers themselves bring forward. You’re forming a union to accomplish as a group what you can’t as individuals.
How do employees get the NLRB to hold an election?
- The NLRB requires that employees demonstrate a minimum showing of interest before it will come in and conduct an election. It requires proof that at least 30% of the workforce is interested in collective bargaining.
- As such, the union must first determine what it feels is an appropriate bargaining unit.
- The IBEW then asks employees in this bargaining unit to sign an “Authorization Card.” These cards are used for two purposes. (1.) They show IBEW who supports forming a union. (2) They show the NLRB there’s a sufficient number of interested employees for them to hold an election.
- Can I be fired for signing a card? It is clearly unlawful for an employer to retaliate against anyone for signing a card. Additionally, these cards are treated as strictly confidential by the IBEW and the NLRB. (Unless you tell someone you signed one, no one will ever know.) Cards can be submitted electronically from this website, further assuring confidentiality.
- Can I sign a card and still vote NO? Yes, the cards only get you to an election. It’s the votes cast during that election that determines if the majority supports the union and collective bargaining.
- If enough employees sign authorization cards, IBEW will file a petition with the NLRB that asks them to come in and hold a secret ballot election.
- On this petition, the union lists the employer and location, and a description of the bargaining unit. Not the names of the employees, but a list of classifications to be included, as well as those to be excluded. (Managers, supervisors, and security guards are automatically excluded by law.)
- The employer receives a copy of the petition, but not the authorization cards. They go directly to the NLRB who also won’t reveal who signed them, or even how many employees signed them.
- The NLRB will try to get the union and the employer to mutually agree to the election details and bargaining unit. This happens 90% of the time, and when it does the parties sign a stipulated election agreement outlining the bargaining unit, and when and where the election will be held.
- Sometimes an employer will challenge the make-up of the bargaining unit. (It has the right to make a challenge, but it can’t dictate what it will be.) If Wheelabrator were to challenge the make-up of the petitioned-for unit, the NLRB listens to the arguments from both sides and makes the final determination of who is included and who is excluded, and when and where the election will be held.
- The amount of time between the union filing the petition and the actual election is typically four to six weeks. The process may be delayed if the employer challenges the petitioned-for bargaining unit, and some employers use challenges as a delay tactic.
What would make the Company Negotiate with Us?
Workers in the United States have a law that gives them the right to join or form unions if they so choose, and it’s unlawful for an employer to threaten, coerce, or retaliate against any employee who chooses to exercise those rights. It’s called the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and it was passed in 1935.
Under the NLRA, employees have a right to engage in concerted activities with co-workers for mutual aid and protection. They can discuss workplace issues with each other such as pay rates, benefits, how they’re being treated by management, etc. Any retaliation by an employer against employees because they’re engaging in this type of activity violates federal law.
How do we determine if a majority of the workers in our bargaining unit want to form a union and negotiate collectively with Wheelabrator for a written contract? The National Labor Relations Board, the federal government agency that oversees this law, comes in and holds a secret ballot election.
If the majority of the workers vote YES, the NLRB certifies the union as the workers’ collective bargaining representative. At this point, the employer can no longer make unilateral changes to the current terms and conditions of employment and must maintain the “status quo” while negotiating with the employees for a written contract.If the majority of the workers vote NO, the union is not certified as the employees’ collective bargaining representative and all remain “at-will employees.”
How much would Union Dues be?
- Union dues are voted on by the union’s members and appear in the IBEW’s Constitution and the local union’s By-Laws. Dues to the International Union are voted on by delegates IBEW local unions send to its International Convention held every 5-years. Dues for IBEW local unions are voted on and established by the members of that local and are listed in its By-Laws.
- Further, workers in IBEW organizing campaigns don’t pay any dues whatsoever until the election is won, a first contract has been negotiated, and that contract has been voted on and accepted by a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit.
- The IBEW also waives initiation fees for new members joining the union as a result of an organizing campaign.
What do I do next?
- If you’ve decided that you like the idea of forming a union and bargaining collectively for a written contract, you need to convey this to the union because we won’t proceed until we know there’s enough support to win.
- You show that you’re onboard by submitting an Authorization Card. These cards are not shown to the employer and remain confidential. They are used for two purposes, (1) to show the union how many people support organizing, and (2) they show the NLRB that there’s enough support to come in and hold an election. Authorization Cards can be submitted electronically using the Electronic Authorization Card Form above. If you prefer the more traditional paper card, call or email one of the IBEW Representatives and one will be mailed to you.
- If you’re unsure and want more information, you can contact one of the following IBEW Representatives who can answer your questions. Contact them by phone or email, and your communications will be kept strictly confidential.
A Workforce Represented By The IBEW Means Having A Voice In Your Healthcare Your Safety Your Hours Your Wages .
Organize a Union in your workplace
Knowledge is Key
Every employer, regardless of size or sector, ought to treat employees with respect and dignity, ensuring fair pay, benefits, and healthy working conditions.
Joining IBEW means becoming part of one of the most diverse unions in the United States. Our reach extends beyond electrical industries, encompassing broadcast media, state and federal workers, higher education, manufacturing, green energy sectors, and more.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is made up of 860,000 active members throughout the United States and Canada. At almost one million members who all work in a variety of skilled professions relating to electricity, the IBEW is one of the largest and most respected labor unions in the world.
