FAQs

I’m not currently unhappy. Why does organizing make sense?

Organizing is a way to ensure a seat at the table and guarantee terms of employment, including policies on severance, layoffs, discipline, and termination. Solidcore has expanded rapidly and workers deserve a seat at the table to participate in decisions made about the future of the companies they helped build.

Though priorities vary from workplace to workplace, many of the issues faced at Solidcore are not unique, and are in fact pervasive throughout the fitness industry. We have seen a recent surge in organizing efforts among fitness professionals and have been collaborating with representatives of CorePower Yoga Coalition, Group Fitness Instructors United , and Unionize Yoga -among others- to achieve our shared desire for: access to employment benefits, a fair and equitable workplace, employer checks and balances, environmental health and safety, competitive compensation, and fair hiring practices.

What will management do and/or say about employees organizing?

Given the global pandemic, we find ourselves in a unique moment – obviously, these are unprecedented times. Solidcore executives may use this talking point to try to persuade us that now is not the right time to organize. But it’s just the opposite: it is clear that we need to have a seat at the table. Solidcore United has formed to ensure that we all have a voice and more security at work, and to bring us together in times of great difficulty. And we believe that the best way to navigate the ever-changing fitness industry, pandemic or not, is together.

They may also point to fitness companies that have laid off or furloughed employees or otherwise made cuts during the pandemic, and insist that it’s because those companies have organized or unionized. This is false: many unionized fitness companies have not laid off employees or made cuts – and plenty of non-unionized fitness companies have. The difference is that if a company does need to make tough decisions around employment, they must negotiate with their employee’s labor coalition/union first.

One of the most common anti-union talking points is the idea that the union is an outside entity that will impose restrictive rules or create more bureaucracy. Management will often ask staff to give the company a chance to make improvements before bringing in a union. But the union is not a third party. It’s all of our colleagues coming together to establish common priorities and bargain collectively over the terms and conditions of our employment. It’s the only way for staff to have a guaranteed seat at the table and a guaranteed say in pay, working conditions, and benefits. The union can be used to establish things like employee studio reps and labor management committees, which both increase, not limit, open lines of communication. 

Often these messages are delivered by management via email as well as individual and group meetings. Most anti-union campaigns use the same script – one example is management’s unsuccessful anti-union campaign at Thrillist. Management is not allowed to interrogate, intimidate or threaten you over your union activity. If you feel your rights have been infringed upon, contact the Solidcore United Leadership Committee: solidcoreunited@gmail.com.

Are there repercussions to organizing?

It is our legal right to organize at work. You can read about your legal right to form a union/organization on the National Labor Relations Board website.

Beyond the legal protection from any kind of company retaliation, the union is a way to ensure we have job protection through the solidarity and strength of our coworkers. When hundreds of people come together and support one another, we are protected from bad or retaliatory management behavior. No one individual can be singled out. This is not the case in a non-organized work environment.

CAn management reduce benefits if we form a union?

Organizing a union is the best way to protect the benefits we currently have, which are at the full discretion of management in a non-union environment. Once our union is recognized, the company must maintain the status quo and can no longer make unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment; any changes must be negotiated through the collective bargaining process. When negotiating a first union contract, the union will typically propose to lock in the things employees like and make improvements where things could be better. And then it’s a negotiation from there. The stronger and more participatory the union, the more likely it is that employees can secure workplace improvements.

NLRB FAQs

What is the nlrb?

The NLRB is the federal agency responsible for enforcing labor laws and administering union elections when employers insist on a formal election process.

What are our rights leading up to an election?

We all have federally protected rights to advocate for a “Yes” vote leading up to our election and to do so in an environment free from intimidation or interrogation. For more on our rights, please check out this page from the NLRB.

What can management say and/or do leading up to an election?

Management can hold more “informational” or “educational” meetings leading up to the election and can advocate for us to vote “No.” However, they can’t make any threats or offer any inducements to change our minds. They can’t interrogate any of us about our support. If you have any questionable interactions with management (or their representatives), please reach out to your Organizing Committee member or email us at solidcoreunited@gmail.com.

When is the union official?

A workplace is “officially” union upon winning union recognition. Union recognition means that the company has a legal obligation to bargain a contract. Some companies have respected their employees’ democratic right to organize and recognized the union after a neutral third party verifies that a majority of employees signed union authorization cards. Often, companies insisted on an election and attempted to dissuade people from continuing to organize in the lead up to the vote.

After winning recognition or voting online or through the NLRB, employees nominate a union bargaining committee that will negotiate a first contract with the company. A union contract is only in effect after being bargained and voted into place by the employees covered by the union.

collective bargaining FAQs

What is collective bargaining?

The basic premise of collective bargaining is that we are in a stronger negotiating position together as a group, rather than as individuals. We are organizing this union and voting in our NLRB election to secure a seat at the bargaining table, where we will make proposals for a contract that can address our top issues like pay, benefits, job protections, workload and hours, staff diversity, leave time, editorial standards, and corporate transparency, among others.

What happens after we officially vote to form our union?

After a majority of the votes cast are in favor of our union, the NLRB will certify our union as the bargaining representative for editorial staff at all our brands. After NLRB certification, Solidcore will be legally obligated to engage in good faith bargaining with our union. Then we will proceed to contract negotiations by filling out bargaining surveys to identify important issues to address in our first contract and we will nominate representatives from every brand to serve on the Hearst Union bargaining committee to compile the survey results and represent all of us in negotiations.

Once our union is certified, the company will be obligated to maintain the status quo when it comes to our terms and conditions of employment, unless we, the union, agree to change them. The company will no longer be able to unilaterally change our benefits without negotiation. 

For an overview of the process, the NLRB has a fact sheet that goes into more detail here.

If coaches get raises, won’t that mean we have to cut from somewhere else?

A key part of contract negotiations is conducting a thorough financial analysis of the institution. The company is compelled to disclose certain information. Through a detailed cost-out of each proposal and this analysis, we propose realistic improvements that will work for employees and the company.

Companies often think that they are running their operations as efficiently as possible. Coaches are on the front line and may be able to identify inefficient practices that, if changed, could save money. A union is also a way to advocate for long-term staff investment, which can improve morale and reduce turnover.

Will I lose something great i negotiated for myself?

Union contracts address a broad range of issues, from pay and benefits to editorial standards and diversity. While contracts can set minimums for pay, they don’t set maximums – and individuals still retain the right to negotiate above and beyond the minimum rates.

wont this take power away from us by making us follow arcane rules & protocols?

Through continued conversations and a bargaining survey, we determine the bargaining priorities and what does or doesn’t work for our workplace, then work with the union staff to develop proposals that specifically address those issues. Those proposals are voted into place by us – the employees.

There are a large number flexible, fast-paced, and innovative workplaces industry that have strong union contracts in place.