Steps to Organizing A Successful Union

1. Acknowledge problems and issues in your workplace.

2. Contact a Union. You can find one by browsing through our LINKS/LABOUR section. You can check out individual unions’ sites or connect with the Canadian Labour Congress which can help you get in touch with a union. Unions can also be found in the yellow pages of the phone book under Labour Organizations

3. Tell the union you contact about your workplace and ask questions.

4. Meet with a few co-workers you trust to begin to form an inside organizing committee. This committee will be responsible for communicating with the Union staff, signing up co-workers and maintaining the Union’s presence in the workplace.

5. Meet with the Union staff organizer for training and education about organizing, the Union and the Law.

6. Approach co-workers to join the Union by signing a Union Membership card. By law you are allowed to talk to your co-workers about unionizing and getting cards signed while at work, as long as it is not on the employer’s time. However, organizing campaigns are usually kept secret from the employer, in order to limit their interference in the process.

7. Once 40 per cent of the employees have shown they support the union by signing membership cards, the union can apply to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to be certified to represent the employees in your workplace.

8. 5 days after the union applies to be certified as the employees’ bargaining agent, a secret ballot vote will be held. If more than 50 per cent of the workers vote in favour of the union, the OLRB will certify the union to represent the workers. If less than 50 per cent of the employees vote in favour of the union, then the application is dismissed, and a 12-month waiting period must pass before further attempts at certification can be made. If an employer interferes with the certification process, and as a result the vote does not reflect the wishes of the employees in the bargaining unit, then another vote may be held.

9. After a successful vote, a bargaining committee will be elected by you and your co-workers to assist a Union Representative to negotiate with your company.

10. Upon certification, a union will begin negotiating a collective agreement (contract) with the employer, which outlines the conditions of employment, rights, privileges, or duties of the employer and the employees.

11. After you ratify the collective agreement, you and your co-workers will elect stewards and committees to represent you on a daily basis in the workplace. They will receive extensive training and education to qualify them for these positions.

12. If you have a problem which you feel is a violation of your contract, you can address it with the help of your stewards and the Union staff.

13. As a Union you will have the strength to solve problems and make improvements. When you stick together, you can continue to strive for better wages, benefits, and the respect and dignity you deserve.