Alex Is the average worker required to join a union?
The average unionized worker is in a weak position at work. In many workplaces he will, as a condition of employment, be required to join the existing union. Or he may have been out-voted in the decision to unionize. Bringing serious concerns and directly accessing the employer is hampered by labour-management formalities.
What to do if Union does not represent you fairly?
If a worker does not believe the union has treated her concern fairly, she can bring take the union to the Labour Relations Board as a fair representation complaint. The process is streamlined, relatively low stress, without fees and efficient. Most workers should be able to handle these complaints themselves.
How are unions required to treat their members?
Unions typically have significant discretion in whether to file and how to progress the grievance, regardless of the affected worker’s preferences. Given this power over the worker, the Labour Relations Code requires unions to treat all the workers it represents fairly.
How are workers and unions captive to their unions?
Workers are captive to their unions unilaterally deducting hundreds, or thousands, of dollars from their earnings each year. Workers and unions are analogous to citizens electing and submitting to government. Yet, one’s relationships and conditions at work are much more intensely personal than citizenship in a territory.
What happens if you are not a union member?
Under the law, if workers who are not union members object to the use of their money for things that are not directly related to collective bargaining, they are entitled to a refund of the portion of their dues spent on politics and other non-bargaining activities.
The average unionized worker is in a weak position at work. In many workplaces he will, as a condition of employment, be required to join the existing union. Or he may have been out-voted in the decision to unionize. Bringing serious concerns and directly accessing the employer is hampered by labour-management formalities.
What are the characteristics of a union member?
The CPS reports the wages and demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, race, marital status) of workers, including whether workers are union members or covered by a collective bargaining contract, and employment information (e.g., industry, occupation).
Unions typically have significant discretion in whether to file and how to progress the grievance, regardless of the affected worker’s preferences. Given this power over the worker, the Labour Relations Code requires unions to treat all the workers it represents fairly.