I was reading an article today titled “10 Shattered Myths About Workplace Rights” The article in its entirety can be found here http://news.yahoo.com/10-shattered-myths-workplace-rights-154531786.html10. Number 10 jumped out at me. Every now and again I get the question why should I pay dues? Most of us go about our business on a regular basis and never consider the “Just Cause” provisions of our contract. Have you ever had a bad day? Have you ever had a personality conflict with the boss? Have you ever stood your ground and refused to sign off an airplane? Like most of you all of the above have applied to me. What if you didn’t have “Just Cause” protections when those issues arise? Read the following excerpt and when someone asks you why you are in a Union you can now point to one huge reason, “Just Cause”.
"10. Myth: Your boss must have a justifiable reason for firing you.
Fact: Your employer can fire you for any reason at all or for no reason, as long as you're not being fired because of your membership in a legally protected class (race, religion, nationality, sex, marital status, disability, and so forth). You can even be fired because your boss doesn't like your laugh or the color of your shirt.
There are two exceptions: one, if you have a contract, which most people in the United States do not; or two, if your company has an employee manual that commits to always using specific disciplinary procedures before firing someone. In the later case, your company is generally obligated to follow those procedures first.
Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management issues. She's also the author of Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader's Guide to Getting Results and former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management, hiring, firing, and employee development. She now teaches other managers how to manage for results."
