I see that locations like Starbucks are unionizing, and I would like something similar for my workplace but I'm not sure where to start. I work for a swimming school, where rates are fairly high, and I get paid an extremely minor fraction of that amount. On the low side, a class per week rates at about 89 dollars ( though I may need to see if those figures have changed, as I think they've gone up), with 4 kids to a class at maximum. On average, let's be charitable and say it's 2 per class (Note: It is NOT two per class, I wish). That's ~180~ bucks of child learning that I deliver over a half hour period. I see less than 10 dollars of that money for my time. If it's full like it typically is, then I'm only getting 9.89 dollars out of 360 for a half hour period. My starting rate when I got this job was 11 dollars, as well. This has been years of raises and promotions and such (come company wide as they wanted to keep pace with the current labor market).
I understand that the facility, rent, pool upkeep, utilities, heating, etc, all cost money. Probably a good amount of overhead. But I'm the one in the water, slogging it out with the kids. I love my job in a lot of ways, but 10 dollars per class is fucking ridiculous.
With that set up out of the way, what do I need to make my non union workplace unionized? Do we join a previously established Aqua Union or do we just make our own by going through the union organizing, voting, etc?
Edit:
I apologize for the excessive description of my job and the money involved. I get nervous that I don't deserve to format my pay based on classes, that hourly rates are just the way the world is. But Honestly, if you walked up to me and asked me to teach two of these fast paced, detailed, child care type classes for 19.76, I'd refuse hands down. I think me and my fellow instructors deserve 30 dollars per class, easily. I'm sorry for adding too much detail but I just couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't deserve to try and get more, you know? Brainwashed.