Frequently Asked Questions

No. California's Meyers-Milias-Brown Act protects public employees' right to organize. It's illegal for management to fire, discipline, or retaliate against you for union activity.

If you experience retaliation, the union can file unfair labor practice charges and fight to get your job back with back pay. Your rights are protected by law.

Union dues support contract negotiations, legal representation, and organizing resources. The money goes toward:

• Professional negotiators who fight for your contract
• Lawyers who defend your rights
• Training and education for union members
• Strike funds and hardship assistance
• Political action to protect workers' rights

AFSCME dues are typically 1.5% of your salary. Members vote democratically on how dues are spent and on union priorities. As members, we'll have a voice in our local's budget and decisions.

Unions create a formal process for addressing concerns and negotiating improvements. Many public employers work constructively with unions—it's standard practice in the public sector.

Having a contract actually makes expectations clearer for everyone. Management knows what they can and can't do, and workers have clear rights and protections. It professionalizes the relationship.

AFSCME represents public sector workers across California, including many municipal employees. They have:

• Experience negotiating with local governments
• Resources to support organizing campaigns
• Legal expertise in public sector labor law
• A track record of winning strong contracts
• Democratic governance—members control the union

AB 1484 is a California law passed in October 2023 that strengthens rights for temporary public employees. This law is a key reason why we have strong legal standing to organize.

AB 1484 requires public employers to provide temporary employees with:

• Job descriptions
• Wage rates and salary ranges
• Information about eligibility for benefits
• Anticipated length of employment
• Procedures to apply for permanent positions

Most importantly for our organizing effort: AB 1484 strengthens temporary employees' right to be included in union bargaining units with permanent employees who do similar work. This gives us legal backing to organize and demand equal treatment.

Learn more about your rights under AB 1484 on our Know Your Rights page.

The 1000-hour annual cap appears designed to keep us temporary and block access to part-time non-temp positions that could offer benefits at 50% FTE.

For aquatic aides: The same cap applies, but many aides aren't given enough hours to come close to it. This creates a different problem—inconsistent scheduling and uncertainty about whether there will be enough work, especially across seasons.

With a union, we can:

• Negotiate pathways to permanent part-time positions
• Fight for benefits even as temps
• Demand transparency about why the cap exists
• Challenge arbitrary limits on our ability to earn a living
• Establish minimum hour guarantees and fair scheduling practices

Aquatic aides face many of the same challenges as lifeguards—temporary status, lack of job security, no voice on the job—plus some unique concerns:

• Pay parity: Aides are asked to teach swim lessons at aide pay rates, while lifeguards teaching the same lessons receive lifeguard pay. Same work should mean same pay.
• Inconsistent scheduling: Hours can vary widely, especially across seasons, making it hard to plan financially or rely on this job.
• Unclear expectations: Without clear job descriptions and consistent communication, aides often lack information about their role and responsibilities.

A union contract addresses these issues by negotiating pay scales, scheduling practices, and clear job expectations that apply to everyone. Aides deserve the same voice and protections as lifeguards.

Yes. California law requires overtime pay for employees working more than 8 hours in a day. When staff reported concerns to the California Labor Board, they confirmed this is correct.

A union contract ensures proper overtime payment and gives us a grievance process if we're not paid correctly.

Right now, we're at-will employees who can be "separated for any legal reason at any time." With a union contract, we gain real protections.

We can negotiate:

• Just cause standards: Discipline only for documented performance issues
• Progressive discipline: Warnings before termination
• Grievance procedures: Fight back if fired unfairly
• Clear, written rules: Everyone knows what's expected
• Due process: Right to representation in disciplinary meetings

Currently, temporary employees don't have access to disability insurance. If you're injured off-the-job for 1-4 weeks (not workers' comp) and can't work due to physical requirements, there's no income protection.

Through collective bargaining, we can negotiate for disability insurance coverage and other benefits that full-time city employees receive.

Once a majority of temporary aquatics staff sign cards, we formally request recognition from the City of West Hollywood. They can either:

• Voluntarily recognize us: Accept our petition and begin bargaining
• Request an election: Hold a secret ballot vote supervised by the state

Either way, once we're recognized, we elect a bargaining team and begin negotiating our first contract.

It varies, but here's a typical timeline:

• Card collection: A few weeks to a few months
• Recognition/election: 1-3 months
• Contract negotiation: 3-12 months (depends on bargaining)

Your union card is confidential. Management cannot see who signed cards. The union keeps cards private and only uses them to demonstrate majority support.

Once we go public with our campaign or file for recognition, it becomes harder to stay anonymous if you're actively involved. But many members stay behind the scenes and contribute in private ways.

That's great! Asking questions is an important part of making an informed decision. Reach out confidentially: