The union bug is a small printed mark, usually tucked in a corner, indicating the piece was produced in a shop operating under a collective bargaining agreement. For a lot of organizations in New York it is not decoration, it is a procurement requirement.
What it certifies
- The shop operates under a collective bargaining agreement.
- The workers who ran the press are covered by that agreement.
- Wages, benefits and safety standards are negotiated rather than set unilaterally.
- There is a grievance process.
Who needs it
Political campaigns and ballot measure committees, frequently as a condition of endorsement. Union locals producing newsletters, contract booklets and organizing material. Nonprofits and advocacy groups whose boards or members expect it. And businesses or public agencies whose procurement rules require union vendors.
If you are seeking a labor endorsement in New York, printing your material union is often an explicit or implicit expectation. It is a cheap box to tick and an expensive one to have missed.
How to verify a printer is actually union
This is worth knowing: some shops advertise union printing, broker the job to a non-union plant out of state, and apply a bug they are not entitled to use. The bug is only meaningful if the shop that printed the piece holds the agreement.
Reasonable things to ask:
- Which local, and what is the shop's affiliation?
- Is the work printed on site, or brokered?
- Can I visit the floor?
- Can you supply documentation for our compliance file?
Any genuine union shop will answer all four without hesitation. Big Apple Press is organized with Teamsters Local 2N and prints in house at 40 Wall Street. You are welcome to come see the presses.
It costs the same
A common assumption is that union printing carries a premium. On our work it does not: the bug is applied on request at no extra charge, and pricing is quoted the same way it would be for any other job.
Campaign timelines
Campaign and labor work runs on external deadlines: board of elections dates, permit dates, ratification votes. Tell us the real date, not a comfortable one, and we will build the schedule backward and tell you honestly whether it holds.
More on our union shop page.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.