Edit to title: accruement
So my employer is a large coffee company (not starbucks) and I am naught but a lowly assistant manager. One of my shift leads was upset that the system wasn't showing any accrued vacation time only sick time. I was informed by payroll she is not eligible for vacation time and have yet to see a response as to why. So we went digging in our company's policies and found you do no accrue any vacation time if you don't consistently work 35-40 hours a week.
I can't afford to schedule everyone for more than 30 hours because corporate doesn't give me enough hours to spread around since they are forcing all assistant and store managers acrosd the company to work 45 hours (only paying us for 40 btw! Thanks salaried positions being overtime exempt in MA) After I schedule me and the SM thats 90 hours. And when I am only getting like 206 some weeks to schedule that's practically half my labor right there. Everyone is full time and to have enough hours for everyone I can schedule like 3 people at 30 and then the rest squabbling for whatever is left. I told everyone they can pick up shifts at other stores but I know that shit sucks.
I am at a dead end and the only way out is for us to unionize. How do we do it? How can I start planting the seeds and not get immediately fired? Can we unionize? We are a HUGE private company. I have a list of reasonable demands already but I need the tools to do it. If anyone can spare resources to help out anything will help.
TL;DR my company's bullshit vacation time policy is forcing my best employee to leave and now I want to unionize. Send help please!