Be part of a team: workers unite in a union to bargain collectively for better working conditions. Collective bargaining ends with a collective agreement – a legally binding contract between the employer and the worker. The collective agreement sets out working conditions, including social benefits, wages, hours of work and much more. Higher wages: Jobs covered by a collective agreement pay on average 32% more than jobs that are not. Unionized workers are better off: “It has long been known that unionized workers earn more than non-unionized workers, a fact that is confirmed by these new wage data from the Labour Force Survey,” statistics Canada says in its summer 1998 Labour Force Update. There is no better way to make a difference than to become an active lawyer. Download the collective agreements here. Family allowance: Trade union benefits improve the quality of life, not only for the worker, but also for his family. For example, health and dentist plans that cover spouses and children are common in unionized workplaces, as are leave for family responsibilities. Communities benefit: healthy people who earn decent wages lead to healthy and financially stable communities. Everyone benefits: pensions, health and safety rules, maternity leave, these are some of the benefits that did not exist before the unions insisted on this point. Today, they are the norm in many workplaces. Even the basic minimum rights of work are the result of 200 years of workers` efforts.
Job security: If you are a union member and fired without simple reason, your union can get your job back. If you are not unionized and are fired for no good reason, there is nothing in the law that requires your employer to rehire you. You could file an illegal dismissal action, but the only way is money. Unifor has negotiated a package of respectable benefits and pensions for people who have Unifor jobs. Better working conditions: from working hours to health and safety to protection from harassment, unionized workers have a better working environment. They have a place to go if they need help. Complaint procedure: Your collective agreement sets out the steps you must take if you have a complaint against management. Unionized workers also have access to legal representation if necessary. Talk to anyone at the Board of Directors to get a membership application form or download one of them via the link above. Becoming a member is not automatic, it is a choice..
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