You are entitled to have Union representation present during any investigatory meeting or interview related to discipline at work or a significant change to your working conditions. These rights are secured by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) Section 7.

No, Weingarten Rights only apply to meetings related to fact-finding in matters of discipline or the notification of significant changes to your working conditions, but that includes meetings at any stage of an investigation into something that might result in disciplinary action. A meeting in which the disciplinary consequences have already been decided and are being communicated to an employee is not subject to Weingarten Rights.

Every cast member working under a contract negotiated and enforced by a trade union has the right to representation by a member of the appropriate union, despite the individual’s union status. Everyone working under a collective bargaining (a.k.a. union) agreement has Weingarten Rights, whether they are a member or not.

No, you can invoke your Weingarten Rights at any meeting where the employer is asking questions related to someone’s work performance, including a meeting where you’re being asked about a situation where no one in particular is accused of having done anything wrong.

Contact information and other procedural details will be provided by the union representative for the specific union contract each employee is working under.

If you have enough advance notice of the meeting, you can ask your union representative to notify your employer. However, if you are being asked to meet immediately, you can simply say, “I would like to have a union representative at this meeting” to invoke your rights, and the meeting has to be paused until a representative can be present (either in person or by phone/Zoom).

If you realize partway through a meeting that you’d like to invoke your Weingarten Rights, you may do so at any point in the meeting.

A union steward is a fellow Knott’s employee who has been specially trained and authorized by your union to participate as the union representative in Weingarten meetings.

You are not required to join a union. Everyone whose work is covered by any union’s contract will pay working dues that help pay the costs of the creation and enforcement of that contract, and everyone in that category will have equal access to union stewards and union staff to advocate on their behalf. But there are certain benefits to being a member of the union who negotiates your collective bargaining agreement outside of the rights granted by your contract.

No, you can join when you’re ready.

The sooner you join, the sooner you can take advantage of the full benefits of union membership.

Additionally, Knott’s workers who join prior to the ratification of the first contract for their department may have their initiation fees waived. Many unions make this allowance for workers in a newly-organized unit, but some do not. Ask the specific union representative for your trade/department what their union’s policy is on this subject.

Following initial contract ratification, new hires into your department will be required to pay a union initiation fee.

Being part of a labor union joins your voice with millions of other men and women fighting for better wages and working conditions on both the state and federal level. At a time in U.S. history in which worker protections have never been more important, and harder to achieve, unions FIGHT for you.

Union contracts generally deliver higher wages, better workplace safety, and more equitable treatment by company management.

Your union membership may make it easier to join other trade unions and seek out work beyond Knott’s.

Many union contracts include retirement saving, health insurance provisions, as well as training opportunities and other perks specific to that particular union.

Each union has its own procedures. The union representative for particular trade/department can answer all of your questions relating to dues and any other financial obligations.

Many unions wave the initiation fees for workers in a newly organized (“unionized”) unit. Most unions will not charge membership dues until a collective bargaining agreement (contract) has been negotiated with your employer, and that contract has been ratified by the workers in your unit.

The timeline for bargaining will be set in conversation with Knott’s, but your new union will push to start negotiating on your behalf as soon as possible.

Again, some unions may vary in how they approach bargaining, but many employ a representative bargaining caucus, elected from members of the bargaining unit. This bargaining caucus meets with Knott’s representatives at the bargaining table, supported by your union’s staff and legal team, who will serve as the lead negotiators.

Your union representative will meet with your department to determine the group’s priorities. Those priorities, along with union-specific bargaining points, will become the basis for the initial contract proposals.

Each union has its own policy regarding communication with the larger unit during negotiations, but you won’t be left in the dark. Your union is here to fight for what’s important to you. Many unions hold periodic town hall meetings during the course of their negotiations to update workers who aren’t on their department’s negotiating committee.

Bargaining a new contract is a big, multi-faceted undertaking. There will be opportunities for everyone in the unit who is interested to get involved.

The final step will be a ratification vote, which means every member who will work under the new contract gets to cast a ballot to accept or reject the contract. If 50% +1 of the votes cast are in favor of the contract, it takes effect.

The contract will take effect as soon as it passes a ratification vote.

This is one of the terms of the contract that will be up for negotiation in bargaining.

No. Trade Unions are democratic organizations.

The Members vote to elect the Union’s leadership, and the members of a specific working unit have a major influence on the negotiations of their contract. A Union’s goal is to help implement the changes YOU want in your workplace. Workers can vote out their Union’s leadership and can even vote the Union out of their workplace entirely – even after a contract has been negotiated – if they feel they’re not being well represented.

No. Trade Union are non-profit organizations.

Union dues are used to pay lawyers and Union representatives who negotiate contracts that benefit the workers, who defend the workers’ rights, and who fight for your job after an unfair termination. Union dues also fund the day-to-day operation of the organization.

The day-to-day aspects of your job probably won’t change unless you want them to.

The workers in your unit can participate in the contract negotiations process, which includes definitions of the ways in which different jobs within the park opperate. Your Union will attempt to structure the jobs, as they are defined within the negotiated contract, the way the workers want them defined – usually per past practice.

Knott’s has been determined to keep Unions out of the park in the past, so it’s likely that you’ll start receiving communications from your managers warning that it would be a mistake to join a Union.

Your managers might call you into a mandatory meeting and have a Union Buster come in. His or her job is to make a case against Unionism by misrepresenting what Unions are and what we do, in order to discourage Union participation and to allow the Company to retain absolute control over your working life.

Unions empower and protect their workers, so it’s a reasonable assumption that Knott’s wouldn’t push so hard against Union representation if the Company and its managers believed they were treating you fairly. If Knott’s was treating you fairly, the Company would allow you make your own decision about Union representation without threats, bullying, or coercion because management would assume that you would ultimately decide that you didn’t need outside assistance in order to have fair wages, a safe workplace and a voice in what happens at work.

You might want to keep that in mind as your managers attempt to coerce you.

Management may even promise improvements to your wages and working conditions if you don’t join a Union, but these types of promises tend to be forgotten once the Company believes the “danger” of potential Union representation has passed.

Click the link below to download your Anti-Union Bingo Card so you can keep score of common false Union Busting statements that you and your co-workers may hear. Link to Bingo Card

Your right to join a Union is protected by law. Unions have very good lawyers to help workers who are fired for reasonable Union activity.

Complete the form at the bottom of our main page and your request for information will go directly to the California Labor Federation. They will reach out to you to determine which Union is the best fit for your trade.

Your contact information will then be forwarded to the right Union representative for your type of work, and that representative will contact you to answer your questions or to supply a Union Authorization card – if you’ve already decided that you want Union representation