If a union is voted in, there would be one collective bargaining agreement that applies to all employees in the bargaining unit. A union contract establishes uniform wages, benefits, and work rules for the group as a whole.

Employees often have different preferences when it comes to pay, benefits, flexibility, scheduling, or job duties. Under a union contract, those individual preferences are represented collectively, even when priorities differ.

No. Your vote is private and confidential. Neither the union nor The Children’s Garden will know how you voted unless you choose to share that information.

NLRB representation elections are decided by a simple majority of the votes actually cast. This means it is important to vote so your individual voice is included in the outcome, which affects wages, benefits, and working conditions for the entire group.

Likely yes. Under federal law, The Children’s Garden is required to provide the union with a list of eligible voters that includes personal contact information, such as home address, personal email address, and phone number.

The union may use this information to share its views about union representation and encourage employee support.

Yes. Members of ILWU Local 5 pay union dues. According to ILWU Local 5’s 2025 LM‑2 financial report, dues collected by the local averaged approximately 1.8% of members’ gross income, though this figure most likely reflects the local portion only and may not fully itemize the separate per‑capita payments sent to the International.

All members receive the same representation and rights, regardless of how dues are calculated or how much they pay, and additional costs—such as initiation fees or assessments—may apply if authorized under union rules.

Under Oregon law, you are not required to join the union as a member, but if the union is voted in, you may still be required to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. If the union wins, the terms of any negotiated contract apply to you whether or not you join, but only union members are allowed to vote on contract ratification or union leadership.

If the ILWU wins the election, the next step would be collective bargaining. The Children’s Garden and the union would be required to bargain in good faith, but neither side is required to agree to any proposal. There is no requirement that a contract be reached, and no guarantee of any specific outcome.

Maybe; maybe not. There are no guarantees in the collective bargaining process. If a contract is reached, employees may see improvements in some areas, while other areas may stay the same or change in less favorable ways. Negotiations involve trade‑offs, and outcomes vary.

You don’t. Statements made during a union campaign are not guarantees. A union cannot promise the outcome of negotiations. No one can know in advance what will ultimately be agreed to during bargaining.

There are several possibilities.

Negotiations could continue, employees could later seek decertification, or the union could choose to take additional actions, such as a strike. There are no guaranteed outcomes in collective bargaining.

We do not know.

While unions do not always call strikes, strikes do occur when a union believes additional leverage is necessary. Strikes can be financially and personally challenging for employees and disruptive to normal operations.

Yes, that process is called decertification.

If the union wins the election, it is generally protected from decertification for one year. After that period, employees may petition the NLRB if legal requirements are met. If a contract is reached, employees remain represented by the union for the length of that agreement, which often lasts 2–4 years.

No.

The union cannot guarantee job security. If you believe discipline or termination is unjust, you may ask the union to file a grievance on your behalf. This guarantees a process, not a specific outcome. The discipline may or may not be reduced or reversed.