Don’t Settle for Half-Truths. Get the Facts.

Nothing is Guaranteed

Contrary to what you may have heard, unionizing does NOT guarantee anything, like your wages and benefits. And, it does NOT guarantee you will receive the same terms or conditions included in the Kansas bargaining agreements, which are the result of decades of negotiations.

Pay

A Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) often takes years or decades to make advancements.  Our current CBA in Kansas with the IBEW has taken decades of negotiations to result in the current retirement benefits, health insurance, vacation, sick leave, and job descriptions. An agreement with Oklahoma Natural Gas does not guarantee the same pay scale and benefits as the agreement with KGS.  In addition, there are no merit-based increases, no short-term incentives, and standby pay is not guaranteed and is only paid over holiday weekends.

Advancement Opportunities

In a union environment, there will be no merit-based increase, no progression promotions, and seniority will rule for all future advancement, regardless of job performance.  Currently, you can set a path for your own development and engage in the opportunities you see available in our company.  Many union contracts base decisions like job assignments, work locations and work shifts on seniority (how long you have been with the company). In a union, you may have less say in your job assignment, your work location or even your work hours.

Paid Time Off

Non-bargaining employees receive a designated amount of paid time off (PTO) every year. Employees’ allotment of PTO is tied to their years of service (e.g., 2 years = 160 hrs; 10 yrs = 200 hrs). Non-bargaining unit employees may use their PTO however they wish (vacation, kids’ activities, appointments, illness, etc.). Non-bargaining unit employees are required to submit time off requests for their manager’s approval, but their ability to take PTO generally does not depend on their co-workers’ pending or approved requests for time off.

In contrast, in a union environment, time off is typically based on seniority. Time off requests from employees with less tenure may not have the same priority as those with more seniority (e.g., multiple employees request time off during the holiday season).

Company Vehicles

Taking home company vehicles is negotiated depending on job classification and is not guaranteed.

Negotiation

Voting for a union means the union has the right to negotiate a contract with the company on your behalf. Today, you have the ability to have a direct relationship with your leadership team. You don’t have to rely on a bargaining unit to manage that relationship.  You speak for YOU.

Union Membership

Oklahoma is a “right to work” state, which means employees cannot be forced to join a union or pay union dues. However, regardless of your membership in a union, your job classification will be bound by whatever that union negotiates with the company, which may have an impact to you. Unfortunately, when that happens, your individual performance may not determine your potential wages, benefits or even the position you hold.

Our Commitment to our Employees

We have always been and will continue to be committed to offering our employees competitive wages and benefits while creating a positive work environment — regardless of division, location or department.

First Contracts Take a LOT of Time

First contracts take nearly two years to be finalized. So even if a vote happens, it could still be quite some time until a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is in place. Bloomberg Law recently reported that the average time it takes to get a contract in place is a whopping 458 days.