Hi all! I recently quit my job at a midwestern convenience named closely to Com and Go, replace the c with a k and the o with a u, and without stating the exact store I just wanted to talk about what I learned and rant a bit. Also, I'm not a union associate or anything, so dont take this info 100% to heart as this is just my experience.
First let me just say, I mostly quit because the failed attempt and I wanted to move on, but also I couldn't take the store anymore. I worked at a legacy store, meaning older store, and it was disgusting. Rodent feces in lid cupboards, we caught 4 mice within a month, constantly breaking machines, and a much harder job than the newer training store nearby that the employees not only have it easier, but barely trained us. They get paid more for it too. Did I mention literally all closing employees told me they had mental breakdowns IN STORE including me at one point.
Now to the union stuff, high schoolers are your best friend. They have nothing to lose since most don't pay Bills and chances are they have not been told union bad yet. Also, I dont know if all unions do this but UFCW pays for an associates if you are in the union, that helps too.
Second, ask employees their wages. An employee with the same job as me but more experience got paid a dollar less than me and had I not left I'm sure she would have been all for a union after being neutral. Even the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” guy openly gave his wage, which was the same as mine even though he has 20 years of varried experience compared to my 1 year of fast food. There's a reason they say “competative wages”.
The biggest thing that can ruin a process is not no votes, it's yes votes too scared to lose their job to vote. About 3 of 10 employees were too financially unstable to risk anything, 2 wouldn't even talk to the organizer. Not much you can do about these except have them talk with the organizer.
Also, probably the biggest one, personally call the organizers local branch, sending an email could take weeks for a response but a call is usually instant.
If you are trying to organizer yourself I'm open to questions, although we never got to a vote so i can't help with anything past contacting the organizer but I can share the process of talking to people, getting it going.