Unionize your Workplace

The Atlantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers would be honoured to be asked by you and your coworkers to represent you and defend your interests in dealing with your employer.

We have people dedicated to helping you make that happen. They are experts in the process of ‘organizing’ workplaces so that the employee are represented by a professional union.

Labour law protects workers who want to unionize their workplace. Workers cannot be fired or punished for taking part in a group effort to create a formal relationship with a union.

We employ highly experienced staff and we back them up with a team of legal experts. Our people and their team can help you through the process of bringing the union into your workplace.

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Our organizers have worked with people like you and your coworkers hundreds of times before. They know the law. They understand how the process works. They know just what your employer can and cannot do. And, believe us, they are truly motivated to make us your representatives.

They know that when they and you succeed, you and your co-workers will have a voice in determining terms and conditions at work. The chances are good that you’ll be rewarded with better pay and benefits.

Don’t hesitate to call us on a confidential basis if you have any questions.

How to know if you should unionize

It’s easy to know when a union would improve your experience at work and make your career more meaningful to you and your family.

If you answer ANY of the following questions with “YES”, you need the power of a union to represent you and your coworkers with your employers:

  • Are you being paid poorly compared with other employers?
  • Does your employer underpay you for the overtime you work?
  • Does your employer ever NOT pay you for work he or she requires you to do?
  • Do you worry about your personal safety at your workplace?
  • Do you worry that you will never earn enough to retire on a decent pension?
  • Do you worry about the cost of dental bills, eyeglasses and other kinds of health and quality-of-life necessities?
  • Do you have access to training so you can improve your career?
  • Does your employer mistreat you or any of your fellow co-workers?
  • Is harassment (sexual, racial or otherwise) tolerated at your workplace?
  • Does your employer ever threaten you with reduced wages or loss of employment in order to get you to do what he or she wants?
  • Does your employer ever threaten you in any way if you complain?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, please give us a call or send us an email – we are available to answer any of your questions.

Things your employer cannot do

  1. Attend any union meeting, park across the street from the hall or engage in any undercover activity which would indicate that the employees are being kept under surveillance to determine who is and who is not participating in the union program.
  2. Tell employees that the company will fire or punish them if they engage in union activity.
  3. Lay off, discharge, and / or discipline any employee for union activity.
  4. Grant employees wage increases, special concessions or benefits in order to keep the union out.
  5. Bar employee-union representatives from soliciting employees’ memberships on or off the company property in non-working hours.
  6. Ask employees about union matters, meetings, etc. (Some employees may, of their own accord, walk up and tell of such matters. It is not an unfair labor practice to listen, but to ask questions to obtain additional information is illegal.)
  7. Ask an employee what they think about the union or a union representative once the employee refuses to discuss it.
  8. Ask employees how they intend to vote.
  9. Threaten employees with reprisal for participating in union activities. For example, threaten to move the plant or close the business, curtail operations or reduce employees’ benefits.
  10. Promise benefits to employees if they reject the union.
  11. Give financial support or other assistance to a union.
  12. Announce the company will not deal with the union.
  13. Threaten to close, in fact close, or move plant in order to avoid dealing with a union.
  14. Ask employees whether or not they belong to a union, or have signed up for union representation.
  15. Ask a prospective employee, during the hiring interview, about his or her affiliation with a labor organization or how he or she feels about unions.
  16. Make anti-union statements or act in a way that might show preference for a non-union worker.
  17. Make distinctions between union and non-union employees when assigning overtime work or desirable work.
  18. Purposely team up non-union workers and keep them apart from those supporting the union.
  19. Transfer workers on the basis of union affiliations or activities.
  20. Choose employees to be laid off in order to weaken the union’s strength or discourage membership in the union.
  21. Discriminate against union people when disciplining employees.
  22. By nature of work assignments, create conditions intended to get rid of an employee because of his or her union activity.
  23. Fail to grant a scheduled benefit or wage increase because of union activity.
  24. Deviate from company policy for the purpose of getting rid of a union supporter.
  25. Take action that adversely affects an employee’s job or pay rate because of union activity.
  26. Threaten workers or coerce them in an attempt to influence their vote.
  27. Threaten a union member through a third party.
  28. Promise employees a reward or future benefit if they decide “no union.”
  29.  Tell employees overtime work (and premium pay) will be discontinued if the plant is unionized.
  30. Say unionization will force the company to lay off employees.
  31. Say unionization will do away with vacations or other benefits and privileges presently in effect.
  32. Promise employees promotions, raises or other benefits if they get out of the union or refrain from joining the union.
  33. Start a petition or circular against the union or encourage or take part in its circulation if started by employees.
  34. Urge employees to try to induce others to oppose the union or keep out of it.
  35. Visit the homes of employees to urge them to reject the union

Contact our Organizers – we’re here to help!

Interested in joining the union? If you think your work life would improve with our union representing your interests, contact one of our local Organizers.

Alternatively, you can fill in the form below and we will get back to you shortly. Your comments will be held in confidence and only shared with the Director of Organizing and the Regional Manager, where applicable.

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