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Union Authorization Card
Practical Law Glossary Item 8-504-3571 (Approx. 3 pages)
Glossary
Union Authorization Card
Also known as an authorization card. A document signed by an employee that authorizes a union to negotiate employment terms and conditions on behalf of the employee. A union authorization card typically is a three-by-five-inch index card, but it also can be a:
- Petition.
- Sheet of paper.
In the private sector, a union can use signed and dated authorization cards to:
- Request that an employer recognize the union as the exclusive representative of employees in a bargaining unit.
- Petition for a union election run by the:
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), if the employees are covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA); or
- National Mediation Board (NMB), if the employees are covered by the Railway Labor Act (RLA).
The NLRA and RLA set different requirements regarding both voluntary recognition and petitions for union elections.
For more information, see: