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 City of Memphis
 Dillard Smith Mechanics
 General Electric Consumer Service
 Johnson Controls at the IRS
 Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority
 Memphis School Board
 Pickwick Electric Corporation
 Sharp Manufacturing Company of America
 Shelby County Craft, Trades and Labor
 Shelby County Sheriff's Department
 Shelby County Support Services
 Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation
 WDIA Radio Station
 Sure Test Labs, Inc.

The employees at the above locations make up about one half of the total membership of Local 474.

An organization of workers joined together for a common purpose, for mutual aid and protection, to engage in concerted activity and collective bargaining, to elevate their conditions of life and labor; an organization by which ordinary people do extraordinary things.

A UNION CONTRACT is an agreement between the employer and the employees.  It sets the wages that will be paid for each job.  It lists the holidays and the terms of vacations.  It guarantees such things as insurance and pensions.  It sets up a system of seniority and provides an orderly plan for settlement of complaints of grievances.

The contract also provides for such things as sick leave, jury duty, funeral leave, military service, hours of work, overtime, safety regulations, conditions of employment and benefits we shall receive.

Union contracts are alike in principle but they vary from plant to plant to suit both local conditions and the desires of the employees.

There is strength in numbers.  If we try to negotiate with the employer on an individual basis, we have no bargaining power.  When employees unite with the IBEW to negotiate with the company, we have real bargaining power.  When employees unite to negotiate, the Federal Government stands behind them.

It's against the law for our employer to refuse to negotiate.  Federal Law provides that an employer must "negotiate in good faith" with our UNION.

How can you have a voice at your work location?

If you are interested in organizing your work place, you may contact Paul Shaffer at (901) 726-4060, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  After 5:00 p.m. you can leave a message on his voice mail.

Steps for organizing:

 1. Contact IBEW and meet with them to discuss issues and determine interest.

 2. Set up and train a volunteer organizing committee from within the facility.

 3. Obtain authorization for representation cards from a large majority of employees at the location.

 4.  Ask  for recognition or file for National Labor Relations Board conducted election.

 5. NLRB conducts election and tallies vote to determine certification.

 6. After winning election, you select the negotiation committee and begin negotiations.

YOU  DO!

YOU elect your own local union officers.
YOU run your own local union affairs.
YOU have your own negotiating committee.
YOU make the decisions on your own union contract.
YOU have your own shop stewards.
YOU decide important policies and actions of your    own union by majority vote.
YOU elect your international officers.
YOU elect your own delegates to the international   conventions.
YOU- the membership - are the final voice of authority   and decision in your Union.

Our union exists for one and only one major reason - the good of our members. Our union, the IBEW, accomplishes as a unit what we cannot accomplish as individuals.