[gravypod]

Why do a group of people need permission to start a union? Can a group of people unionize without permission of their employer? Does the employer need to sign a form or something?

I thought unions were just groups of people who bargained with collective power. Why don't all researchers at these universities just use their abilities as leverage? Most people in universities are hired because they're one of a few thousand people in the world who are up to speed on a specific topic. That makes them very difficult to replace, one would think.

[cfqycwz]

Under US law, the only way to gain recognition as the bargaining representative of a unit of employees—and the only way an employer is legally allowed to recognize you as the sole bargaining agent—is by demonstrating that you have the support of a majority of the bargaining unit, usually through a union certification election.

I don't think there's anything legally preventing a subset of employees from banding together and withholding work until just that subset gets what they want, if that's what you're asking. It's just not a terribly effective tactic, and obviously doesn't leave the benefits in place for future employees the way that a NLRB-sanctioned collective bargaining agreement does.