Proud to be UNION

Why Unions?

Proud to be union As a union member, you have the power to negotiate a collective agreement with your employer. This will ensure you receive good pay, fair benefits, and respect on the job.

The reason why business owners often speak badly about unions is because they don’t want to give up power and control over the workplace. They don’t want you – the worker– to have control over your wages and working conditions, even though your hard work is what makes the company successful.

With a union on your side, you and your co-workers will always be treated with respect.

These are just some of the advantages of a typical union collective agreement:

  • Better working conditions
  • Negotiated wages and raises spelled out in a contract
  • Free access to online training and education for you and your family
  • Better prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage
  • More paid vacation and paid sick days
  • A dispute procedure to legally protect you against unfair discipline or dismissal
  • Better pension benefits

Unions in Canada are regulated by federal and provincial legislation. They are required by law to be democratic and financially accountable to their members. All unions have constitutions that must be registered with government labour boards. 

Why UFCW Canada?

 

With more than 250,000 members, UFCW Canada is the leading private sector union for workers in the food and retail industries, as well as other sectors of the economy. We have succeeded in making the unionized retail job one that pays a decent living wage. Our members can  provide for themselves and their families.

Thousands of workers chose to join UFCW due to our ability to win a fair standard of living for all members. As a UFCW member, you will gain the protection of a strong collective agreement, good wages, employer-paid benefits, and fair treatment at work.

We also know that the struggle for justice and fairness does not end at work. That’s why UFCW is grounded in the communities where our members live. We are not a business – we are a not-for-profit organization that is solely responsible for meeting the everyday needs of members.

You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect at work and you deserve a living wage. You deserve enough hours to provide for a good paycheque and shifts that fit your schedule. You deserve good health benefits and a secure future for you and your family. These are the benefits that UFCW delivers to members and their families.

Push back

 

Why Join a Union?

By joining and becoming a member of UFCW, you gain the union advantage of being an important part of Canada’s leading employee rights and social justice organization.

UFCW Canada members work in a wide variety of industries, including retail stores, warehouses, health care, food processing, retirement homes, pharmaceuticals, meat packing, hotels, security, restaurants, community services, banking, building maintenance, clothing, and municipal government.

It is this diversity that gives the UFCW membership its strength. Unlike other unions, we are not dependent on a small handful of industries. Regardless of what happens in the economy, we remain strong.

By joining and becoming a member of UFCW, you can always count on being represented professionally, whether your employer is a small business or a large transnational corporation.

 

With a union . . .

Without a union . . .

You have a written contract that spells out your rights, job security, and benefits

The employer makes promises but rarely follows through

You cannot be fired without just cause

The employer can fire you without reason. You can work hard, but if you have a conflict with your employer, you are likely to lose your job

You can fight injustices – like poor working conditions – through a grievance procedure that is written into your contract

If you are unhappy at work, your only recourse is often to quit

Year after year, contract after contract, the union fights for higher wages and better working conditions

There are very few raises to be had. The employer determines pay and usually gives raises to their favourite workers

You have shop stewards and union representatives that represent you and fight for your rights

The employer can move your shifts around, cut your wages, speed up production, and neglect working conditions without any consequences

Union contracts often result in improved holidays and better vacation and overtime pay

The employer determines paid holidays and vacations, and you may not get either

Most union contracts also provide health and welfare benefits, such as vision care, dental care, life insurance, and a pension plan

If you have a health and welfare program or benefits, you usually must pay for them
   
   
   

  • How do you get a union in your workplace?

    Every union organizing drive starts with workers signing union cards. Certifying a union is a process that varies from each province, and different rules apply to federally-regulated workplaces. Before starting an organizing drive, the workers should contact the union to find out which laws apply to them.

    There are two different systems for workers to organize themselves into a union: automatic certification and a representative vote.

    Automatic certification means that once a certain number of workers sign union cards, the workplace is automatically unionized. Depending on the legal jurisdiction, this can be between 50% and 65% of the people who work there. In a representative vote certification, the union must convince between 35% and 100% of the workers to sign union cards.

    Once the union has shown that it has the support of the workers, there will be a government-supervised secret ballot vote. If the vote is in favour of the union, it becomes the official bargaining agent for the workers.


    How are your contracts negotiated?

    After the union is certified as the official bargaining agent, negotiations for a first union contract will begin.

    Step 1: Members of the union hold meetings to decide on contract proposals that will be put forward to the employer. The negotiating committee consists of elected or appointed members from the workplace, as well as union representatives.

    Step 2: The union negotiating committee puts forward contract proposals that address issues such as wages, hours of work, medical benefits, dental and pension benefits, vacation, the grievance procedure, seniority, and promotions.

    Step 3: The negotiating committee meets with the employer’s representatives. These representatives may be company managers, the director of human resources, a company lawyer, or other representatives.

    Step 4: Negotiating is often a lengthy process. There is usually a great deal of discussion, and each side often makes compromises. Both groups regularly report back to the people that they represent. In the case of the union, the negotiating committee reports back to the union members in the workplace.

    In most cases, a mutual agreement on negotiating issues is reached between management and the union. The terms of the agreement are written into a union contract that states conditions of employment for a specified time frame.

    Step 5: The membership votes on the contract on whether or not to accept it. If the contract is accepted, it is ratified for the specified time.

  • What happens if negotiations fail?

    Should negotiations fail to establish a new or first union contract, the membership can vote to strike. Strikes involve workers withholding their labour to put pressure on the employer to negotiate a fair contract.

    A legal strike can occur only when a union contract is not in force – when negotiations to renew an agreement have stalled or when a first agreement cannot be reached. Strikes rarely ever happen, and they are a last resort for workers who need to focus the employer’s attention on their needs.

    To union members, a strike means a hardship for themselves and their families. Union members will not go on strike unless the issues involved are so important that they are deemed to be worth the sacrifice.

    But with the support of the union, the members involved, and the community, union members are sometimes willing to go on strike to show the employer that they are serious about their demands.


    What happens when the contract is in place?

    When the workers vote to accept their new union contract, they have a right to enforce the union contract. If the company violates any part of the union contract or the law, the workers may file a grievance. A grievance is an alleged violation of the union contract, the law, or past practice. The process in dealing with a grievance is set out in the contract. At every stage of the process, the union is there, usually in the form of a shop steward or a union representative.

    If the union and management cannot resolve the grievance, a third party – called an arbitrator – may be called upon to make a final binding decision on the issue.

    Protected
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Common Labour Terms

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If you hang around union people long enough, there’s terms that will keep popping up that can be confusing if you’ve never worked a union job before or had much experience with labour unions.

 

  • Allyship

    A person who builds their relationships to oppressed group through a commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity for justice and reconciliation. Allies understand that it is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression, intentional, overt, and consistent responsibility for the change-making.

    Bargaining Unit

    A group of employees in a given workplace who have a sufficient similarity of interest to constitute a unit for the purpose of bargaining collectively with their employer.

    Union Representative

    A full-time representative of a local union whose job it is to represent members in the local.

    Collective Bargaining

    Negotiations between an employer and union, representing a group of employees, that determines the conditions of employment. The result of the collective bargaining procedure is called the contract. Collective bargaining is governed by Federal and Provincial Laws.

    Union Contract

    An agreement in writing between the union, acting as bargaining agent and the employer, covering wages, hours, working conditions, fringe benefits, rights of workers and union, and procedures to be followed in settling disputes and grievances.

    Grievance

    A formal complaint, usually lodged by an employee or the union, alleging a misinterpretation or improper application of one or more terms in a collective bargaining contract. The method for dealing with grievances is through a grievance procedure negotiated in the union contract. If a grievance cannot be settled at the supervisory level, it can be appealed to higher levels of management.

  • Grievance Arbitration

    The appeal of grievances to an impartial arbitrator for final and binding determination. Sometimes called arbitration of “rights”. The arbitrator determines the meaning of the contract and clarifies and interprets its terms. Arbitration, where it is available, is usually the last step in the grievance procedure.

    Grievance Procedure

    The steps established in a collective bargaining contract for the handling of grievances made by or on behalf of employees.

    Labour Organizer

    A person usually employed by a union (often the regional or international union), whose function it is to help the employees of a particular employer through the organizing process and provide guidance on the best ways to go about joining the union.

    Labour Rights

    The International Labor Organization (ILO) identifies what it calls “fundamental principles and rights at work” that all ILO Members have an obligation to respect and promote, which are:

    • freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
    • elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor;
    • effective abolition of child labor;
    • elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation; and
    • a safe and healthy working environment.

    Organizing Committee

    The employees in a non-union shop who are designated to represent their co-workers during the representation campaign. Organizing committee members, among other things, usually sign up their coworkers on authorization cards or petitions acknowledging support for union representation, hand out leaflets, attend meetings and visit workers at home to gain support for the union effort.

  • Picketing

    The carrying of signs or the passing out of literature protesting working conditions or actions taken by the employer. Picketing occurs during a strike, or in the form of an informational picket. In this tactic, designed to put pressure on the employer, union members inform the public and other workers about the conditions they feel are unfair.

    Rank and File

    The members of a union. This term does not apply to the leadership of a union.

    Ratification

    Formal approval of a newly negotiated agreement by vote of the union members affected.

    Shop Steward/Steward

    The union representative of a group of fellow employees who carries out duties of the union within the workplace.

    Example: Handling grievances, recruiting new members and monitoring compliance with the contract. The steward usually is either elected by other union members or appointed by higher union officials. The steward usually remains an employee while handling union business. Some release time (with or without pay) may be available to stewards under specific language in many collective bargaining contracts.

    Social Justice

    The theory and practice of redistributing power so that all may equitably access and experience wealth, health, wellbeing, privileges, and opportunity.