Hi, I work manufacturing (I'll say New England to be vague) and my place has a Collective Bargaining Agreement that covers all the floor positions (the Collective Bargaining Unit, which doesn't include the engineers/sales upstairs.) It seems to have the structure of a union (there is a 3-person committee who meets semi-regularly, but whose only task seems to be secretly bargaining a 3-year contract with management.) It seems pretty hollowed-out. The committee acts entirely in secret (never getting our input), is stacked with people absolutely deferential to management, and doesn't hold regular elections.
The one good person on it is sadly just an alternate but we're talking about calling for elections and trying to rejuvenate the CBU. So, I'm trying to learn what exactly we're dealing with. I googled around and not finding much about the concept of a CBU independent of a union. Has anyone heard of a similar system? Is it a hollowed-out pseudo-union? Does it have any teeth? Can we give it teeth? Thanks!