Busting the Myths About Union (pdf)
Benefits of Unions
A union can improve working conditions, protect your rights, ensure dignity and respect on the job and fair treatment of workers. But, most importantly, a union puts you and your co-workers in control of your futures — you set the priorities and work towards them.
The basic idea of a union is that by joining together with co-workers you will have a greater ability to be more effective in collectively improving conditions at the workplace. These workplace improvements are achieved through the process of collective bargaining, which concludes with a legally-binding collective agreement, signed between the union and the employer.
The union’s goals in a workplace are its members’ goals:
- Job Security
- Health and Safety in the Workplace
- Pay Equity
- Hours of work
- Employment Equity
- Fair Wages and Benefits
- Vacation and Family Responsibility Leave
- Dignity and Respect (union security)
- Democratization of the work place
A union can also offer workers training and educational opportunities. Without a Canadian union or a collective agreement, workers are subject to the whims of their employer. Non-unionized workers have little or no say in how pay raises or benefits are given, little say in their hours of work and do not have anyone to represent them if they have a problem with their employer.
Find out what the union advantage means for Manitoba workers.