Union Benefits: How Does the Union Provide You Job Security?
Updated 11/12/26 Updates provide clarity, include a breakdown of just cause, and link to the union directory.
Most people never belonged to a union before becoming a UFCW 227 member and may not be aware of one of the most important union benefits; “just cause” or “proper cause” for discipline. Just cause is such an important right for union members that we fight to include it in every contract we negotiate and it’s our first line of defense when fighting off write ups and firings.
Have you ever worried you might lose your job because of a bad manager or a manager that didn’t like you? In a union, your manager isn’t the only one with power, because as a union member you have rights that protect you and trained Union Stewards and Representatives that have your back.
Having the standard of just cause for discipline means that your supervisor can’t fire you or discipline you because they don’t like you. If they tried, you would file a grievance, which is the union process to bring issues to the company, and we could make them throw the write up out.
Just cause generally means that they can prove
· The company completed a fair investigation.
· The company can prove you violated a policy.
· You were reasonably expected to know about that policy.
· The policy is reasonable.
· The policy is enforced the same for everyone.
· The punishment fits the “crime”.
If you speak up about an issue at work and your supervisor writes you up or fires you because they didn’t like what you had to say, you can file a grievance. And if you get written up for being late you can use your grievance process to make the supervisor prove to the union that you were late and that they were holding everyone to the same standard.
Being able to make management prove just cause for discipline is a right that non-union workers don’t have, they are at-will employees and can be let go for any or no reason.
Any time you are disciplined you should reach out to your Union Steward or Area Representatives. Stewards are your co-workers who have volunteered to receive special training to defend your rights as a union member. Some situations can be resolved with a conversation, other times we continue to the next step of the grievance process.
Union Stewards and Area Representatives solve issues for thousands of your fellow union members every single year. In 2025, our union won hundreds of grievances and put over $135,000 back in the pockets of our hard-working members.
Just cause in union contracts is why members have job security. As a union member, you use your rights and reach out to your union family that has your back and will defend your rights.