Archive for the ‘Forming a Union Information’ Category

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How to Start a Union

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

 Even though every job is different, there are basic steps that every group of workers needs to complete.

You should quietly talk to some of your co-workers that might be interested in joining a union. If there is interest from your co-workers you should contact our union office and find out more information. We can meet with you and your co-workers in confidence and discuss how to start a union at your workplace.

 How to Start a Union: 5 Basic Steps

 Step One: You can’t do it all alone. You need to find other co-workers in other departments that can help you. Everyone needs to ensure they have a way to put their issues on the table.

 Step Two: Find issues that matter. What is going on at your worksite? What would you like to change? The whole point of joining a union is to make your workplace a better place to work. What are issues that everyone has in common?

 Step Three: Sign union cards. You and your co-workers will now start to ask others to sign union cards. You want to sign up at least two thirds of employees where you work. Not only is signing union cards a legal requirement to get a vote to join a union – it also ensures that everyone at your worksite is united. Sign up as many people as possible.

 Step Four: UFCW 1518 will provide the union cards to the Labour Relations Board of BC. No one ever sees the cards except for you and the labour board. Your boss will never know who has signed a union card. Within 10 calendar days of all cards being provided the labour board will schedule a vote at your workplace on joining a union.

Step Five: You have your union! You now have a legal right to negotiate improvements to your worksite and conditions of work.

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How to Start a Union at Work

Monday, June 7th, 2010

When most people think of unions, the first image that comes to mind is of the familiar trade unions: carpenters, plumbers, steelworkers, electricians, etc. Many don’t realize that almost any type of work can be unionized – and that unions have a lot to offer.

How to start a union at work in BC:

The first thing you need to do is find a union that represents workers like yourself: UFCW 1518 has members who are care aides, retail workers (cashiers, clerks, stock people, deli counter, grocery, produce, etc!), industrial workers, and other types of working people.

Secondly, call the union and talk with one of the organizers. It is their job to help you learn more about how to start a union at work, and to support you and your coworkers in making it happen!

The organizer will likely explain to you that BC labour law requires that at minimum 45% of the employees must sign “union cards”, otherwise known as “cards” or “recognition cards”. These cards basically create an agreement between you (card signer) and the union: it means that you want the union to represent you and that you want to belong to the union.

Since you will want to be very sure that the organizing campaign will be successful when it comes time to vote for the union, it is common to try and have more than 45% of the employees sign cards. This way, everyone has the chance to understand what the union campaign is about, and to ask their questions first, before being asked to cast a ballot.

Note: the card signing process can be kept entirely confidential for any individual who wishes to do so. While there are legal protections in place to ensure anyone who wants to join a union is free to, some people still feel intimidated; your union organizer will take this very seriously.

After signing up enough of your coworkers, the union will file for a ‘certification vote’ at the Labour Relations Board. The Board, which is a neutral government organization, will schedule a vote for you and your coworkers. The vote will happen within 10 business days and will be done by secret ballot, just like a government election.

When a majority of you and your coworkers vote Yes for the union (50% of the employees + one vote), you will have successfully started a union at work!

You may have a number of reasons for wanting to start a union: perhaps for job security, better benefits or pay, an end to favoritism, or simply to secure the fundamental respect that you and your coworkers deserve. Talk about these reasons with coworkers you respect and trust – bring your strengths and ideas together to start forming a union.

Our Labour Code strongly asserts that you have the right to start a union at work: so don’t be hesitant to learn more. People often wonder how to start a union at work without realizing that they have already made a big step in a good direction: questioning the status quo. If you are ready to make things better, start a union at work!

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How Many People are Needed to Form a Union?

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Only two people are needed to form a union in British Columbia.

Does everyone have to be on board for us to have a union?

No. Forming a union at your workplace is a democratic process where the majority rules.

If more than 50% + 1 of your co-workers vote for joining UFCW 1518, you will have a union at your workplace.

Do I Get to Vote on Having a Union at Work?

Yes. If you are one of the employees who will potentially be part of the union you have the right to vote. Forming a union at your workplace is the decision of you and your co-workers – not your employer.

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How to Start a Union

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

First you contact a union organizer. They can go over the process of how to start a union in your workplace.

Next you sign union cards. When a majority of your co-workers sign a union card you can apply for a secret ballot vote to be held at your workplace. (Don’t worry – the union organizer will help you with this step.

Finally vote yes to join UFCW 1518! If 50% +1 of your co-workers vote yes at the vote, you will have a union at your workplace.

Here are some things to think about as you consider how to start a union

Before contacting the union you should talk with some co-workers you trust to see what they think. See if they share the same concerns and desire to make your workplace better.

Better yet: See if they are willing to help you! This is called forming an inside committee and it is a critical point in how to start a union.

Make sure to keep things quiet at this stage. The longer you can go without your boss finding out the better.

During the campaign you will want to find ways to contact your co-workers away from the workplace. By phone is usually the easiest way. The best time to get people’s phone numbers is before you start a union.

Consider who you want to have in your union. Often it is possible to organize particular departments or sections of a company into a workplace rather than every employee in British Columbia.

You will want to get more than 50% of employees to sign a union card. While at a minimum you only need 45% of your co-workers to sign a card, its better to sign as many people as possible.

Advice we give to everyone on how to start a union is that it’s better to do it right than to do it quickly. If you don’t engage a large number of your co-workers in the process – they may feel left out. As a general rule you should sign as many cards as you can.

Another reason you want to sign as many cards as possible is that your employer will likely try to stack the voters list or hire new people immediately before the vote. Having everyone on board and onside ensures you will be successful.

Once you are successful at the vote your employer is required to enter into contract talks with you regarding benefits, working conditions and wages.

You will democratically elect a committee made up of your peers to represent you during these negotiations – but don’t worry the union will provide a professional negotiator and legal council to make sure that you receive everything that you are entitled to.

If you’d like to take the first step in forming a union, contact us online or call our hotline 24 hours a day. Our professional staff can guide you through the steps in how to start a union at your workplace.

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Fired for Joining a Union

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

No. You cannot be fired for joining a union. People join unions to get more job security.

Every worker has the right to join a union. The law is on your side.

Without a union, you are only covered by the Employment Standards Act. As you start the process of forming a union you are protected by the much stronger BC Labour Code with protects you from being fired for joining a union.

You cannot be fired for joining a union. Under the Labour Code you can only be fired for just cause and only if there is a valid reason.

The BC Labour Board is aware that some bad employers would try to fire if they could get away with it. Because of this, during a union organizing drive, there is scrutiny place on your employer. The employer is required to prove to the labour board why someone is let go.

When you start the process of joining a union, your job is protected.

The BC Labour Code is much stronger law, which says that while you are in the process of organizing a union, you can only be disciplined for “Just Cause”.

The law is quite clear:

Prohibition against dismissals, etc., for exercising employee rights

5 (1) A person must not

  • (a) refuse to employ or refuse to continue to employ a person,
  • (b) threaten dismissal of or otherwise threaten a person,
  • (c) discriminate against or threaten to discriminate against a person with respect to employment or a term or condition of employment or membership in a trade union, or
  • (d) intimidate or coerce or impose a pecuniary or other penalty on a person

Not only are you protected, but UFCW 1518 will provide legal council.

We send a strong message to employers that they can not try to interfere with a workers choice to join a union.  

People join unions to GET job security. You have much more job security while joining a union than you have even right now.

Can I get fired for joining a union? No.

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Health Care Workers in the Okanagan Win Wage and Benefit Increases

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 1518 members in Penticton voted on a new collective agreement for increased wages, better benefits, and more respect in their workplace.

The terms include wage increases for all members of 3.5% in the first year, with up to 3.75% increases in the following years. Additionally, workers will now be part of the UFCW Pension Plan, and won “no harassment” language to be established in the agreement

Health Care workers at Cherry Park Retirement Residence voted 100% in favour of accepting the terms and ratified the new Agreement on April 3, 2010.

“This is a very good agreement for our members at Cherry Park with substantial improvements, and I want to congratulate the members for what they’ve accomplished,” said Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518.

Congrats to these Penticton Health Care workers in fighting for Living Wage jobs in BC!

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What can Unions in BC offer Workers?

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Why do workers join unions in BC like UFCW 1518?

  • To improve job security
  • To make sure your workplace is safe
  • To guarantee equal pay for equal work
  • To ensure fair wages and benefits
  • To gain dignity and respect at the workplace.

In today’s economy people need job security. One of the most common reasons workers start a union in BC is to make sure they aren’t unfairly disciplined just because their boss is in a bad mood.

One of the major advantages of joining a union in BC is that your rights and working conditions are outlined in a collective agreement (contract). The contract ensures that your rights are protected.

It’s well established that unionized employees in BC make more money than non unionized workers in the same job classification: but did you know that workers who join a union also get more hours?

According to Statistics Canada, part time workers that are unionized earn almost twice what they would make if they weren’t in a union like UFCW.

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Join a Labour Union

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

When you organize a union with UFCW 1518, you can expect the very best representation available from a labour union in dealing with your employer.

We put our members interests first in all that we do.

When you organize a labour union, you can expect to receive the most innovative approaches to collective bargaining, grievance handling and arbitration.

You can expect to get the very best possible collective agreement and benefits available to the members in your workplace.

You can expect an aggressive approach to representing members and attaining for them the very best in wages and benefits.

You can expect to have access to benefits outside the collective agreement that are only available to members that organize a labour union with UFCW 1518.

Benefits of our Labour Union

  • The highest paid retail food workers in North America belong to Local 1518.
  • Benefits made available to part-time workers through the collective agreements.
  • Promotions and access to better jobs based up fairness, not favoritism.
  • Among the highest non-strike rate success in collective bargaining. in other words we negotiate our members demands without having to resort to strike approximately 98% of the time we go to the bargaining table.
  • The first labour union in BC to establish independent jointly administered pension and health and welfare plans for our members.
  • Tripling the wages and benefits of our community health care workers in less than ten years after organizing a union.
  • Setting in place a system of educational scholarships to the exclusive benefit of our members and their families that join our union.

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UFCW 1518 is the Retail Workers Union in BC

Friday, February 12th, 2010

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Can I get Fired for Joining a Union in BC

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

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