ESL Podcast 880 - Forming a Union
flyer - a piece of paper with words and/or images, usually on just one side, used to share information or get interest in something
Let's print up some flyers about our store's sale and distribute them to people walking by on the street.
labor union - an organization whose members are people who work in the same business or industry, and who tries to get better work conditions and better pay for those people
The labor union is demanding better health insurance for its members.
management - the executives and/or directors of a company; the people who have the power to make decisions about how a company is run and that affect the other people who work there
Management has decided to increase the number of vacation days for all employees this year.
to demand - to ask for something and insist on having it
We'll never get more pay unless we demand it.
higher pay - more money paid for one's work; a larger amount of money received in exchange for one's work
The new job has higher pay, but it requires working longer hours with a lot more stress.
work conditions - one's surroundings and the environment in which one works, including the place, the equipment, and one's co-workers
This is such a noisy factory! We could improve work conditions by giving the employees ear plugs.
a say in - influence in making a decision; some ability to participate in a process and have one's opinion be important
Everyone in the family - even the young children - has a say in choosing which charities to contribute to at the end of each year.
hiring and firing procedures - the rules an organization follows when bringing new employees into the company and telling current employees that they will lose their job
The company's hiring and firing procedures require keeping extensive documentation of candidates' qualifications and employees' performance.
to band together - to work together with other people as part of a team for some particular purpose
The teachers are banding together to try to make the school safer for students and for themselves.
bargaining power - a measure of the strength that one has in negotiating something; a measure of one's ability to control the outcome of a negotiation
We have more bargaining power, because we aren't in a hurry to reach an agreement, but the other side has very limited time.
job security - a measure of how likely one is to keep one's job; the stability of one's employment
State government jobs don't pay very well, but they offer great job stability.
to agitate - to argue for what one wants, often with other people, especially for social change
Several environmentalists in front of city hall are agitating for greater restrictions on new oil pipeline development.
collective bargaining - negotiations done by a group of workers joined together as one unit
If the collective bargaining doesn't get the union members what they want, they will go on strike.
rank and file - ordinary employees or members; not leaders or managers
Executives get up to eight weeks of vacation each year, but the rank and file get only two weeks.
at long last - finally; after a long period of waiting for something
Winston has been trying to get his book published for years, and at long last, he has found a publisher who is interested in his work.
in or out - a phrase used to ask someone if he or she wants to participate or become involved in something
This is a fantastic investment opportunity, but the minimum amount is $2,000. Are you in or out?
he who hesitates is lost - a phrase referring to a person who waits too long while deciding whether to do something, so that the opportunity is no longer available
Nancy took a long time thinking about whether she wanted to buy the used car and then lost the chance to buy it. He who hesitates is lost.
to look before (one) leaps - to take time to think about something carefully before one decides to do it or to begin participating in something
Jennel always looks before she leaps and never agrees to do anything without knowing all of the details.