Welcome to Toolbox, a new column that will be helping our members better understand the ins and outs of our contracts.

 

Should I bring my personal tools to work?

No, leave them at home. Our Master Labor Agreement contract language clearly states that employers supply the tools:

“No tools shall be furnished by any employees, except that employees may furnish their own hoods and goggles.”

Maybe you think you can work faster if you bring in your own personal hand tools. Maybe you don’t like the tools the employer is supplying. Maybe you think the boss won’t lay off the workers who possess the best equipment.

But if one worker brings tools from home, it’ll pressure others to bring their own too. That’s eroding our hard-won contract. Each violation chips away at everything we fought for at the bargaining table. If people see that they can get away with ignoring this particular provision, why not overlook other parts of our contract?

It can be difficult, but talk to your brothers and sisters. Say, “You’re hurting me and my family when you bring your own tools.” Make it an educational moment. Because every day, you’re bringing your brain and your back to work. That’s more than enough.

 

The guys at my job site want to work through breaks so we can all leave early and beat the traffic home. What should I do?

Under California law, working through your rest period does not entitle you to leave work early. In fact, companies must give their employees a 10-minute break for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof. The employer must also provide a 30-minute meal break if you work more than five hours.

This is for your safety and the safety of those around you. Working through extremely hot days kills thousands of workers each year – you need those breaks to cool off, drink water, and prevent heat illness. Working nonstop can strain your health and actually jeopardize your effectiveness on the job.

And your employer really wants you to take those breaks! It’s a major financial if workers don’t rest, and the company is required to pay back wages for every violation.

Try to reason with the crew, the foreman, or your job steward. If you do not feel comfortable with any of those choices, call the Union Hall at (408) 225-3030 and ask to speak to one of your elected Business Agents. In the tenth largest city in the United States, the union office needs the help of all of us as union members to be vigilant, to speak up, and to give the local the chance to resolve issues. Whether or not any one of us wears the official title of “job steward,” we are all “job stewards” and need to protect our wages, our conditions, our contract, and one another.