Every worker deserves a union!!

We make good money and have good benefits what can the union doe for me?

Even if you currently earn the same wages and receive similar benefits as unionized workers across the street, joining a union offers long-term security and advantages that go beyond immediate pay and benefits. Here are some keyways a union can support and protect you:

1. Job Security and Stability

Collective Agreements: A union provides you with a legally binding collective agreement that outlines your wages, benefits, working conditions, and job security. This prevents the employer from arbitrarily cutting your pay, reducing your benefits, or changing your working conditions without negotiation.

Protection from Unjust Termination: Unionized workers are protected from being fired or disciplined without just cause. This gives you a voice in how disputes or issues are resolved, often through a formal grievance process.

2. Grievance and Dispute Resolution

Without a union, resolving workplace issues—like unfair treatment, unsafe working conditions, or disputes over pay—can be difficult and time-consuming. A union offers a formal grievance process that ensures workers have representation and a fair hearing in cases of conflict.

3. Stronger Collective Voice

Union members negotiate as a group, giving you a stronger bargaining position with management. While you may currently have similar wages and benefits to unionized workers, those conditions aren’t guaranteed without a collective agreement. A union can ensure that any changes or improvements are negotiated on your behalf, rather than imposed by management.

4. Future Pay Raises and Benefits

Even if you make the same as unionized workers now, the union will continue to fight for future improvements. Wages and benefits are regularly negotiated, and unionized workers are typically in a better position to secure consistent pay raises, improved health benefits, pension plans, and other long-term gains.

5. Improved Health and Safety

Unions often push for better workplace safety standards. They ensure that health and safety rules are enforced, and workers have access to necessary protections and training. A union gives you a formal process to raise concerns without fear of retaliation, and they can help prevent workplace accidents by negotiating better safety practices.

6. Workplace Equality

Unions advocate for fair and equal treatment of all workers, addressing issues like favoritism, discrimination, or unfair promotions. They ensure that hiring, promotions, and assignments are based on seniority or merit, and not favoritism or unfair criteria.

7. Protection During Economic Downturns

A union can protect you from abrupt layoffs or reductions in hours. Union contracts often include provisions for severance pay, seniority-based layoff procedures, and recall rights, giving you greater protection in uncertain times.

8. Work-Life Balance

Unions help negotiate fair working hours, overtime pay, vacation entitlements, sick leave, and other work-life balance issues. They ensure that your time is respected and compensated properly.

9. Collective Power in Times of Change

As industries change or companies face financial pressures, union members have a voice in decision-making processes, such as when employers restructure, introduce new technology, or make changes that impact your job.

10. Union Representation in Broader Policy Issues

Unions are often involved in advocating for broader worker rights beyond the workplace, such as changes to labor laws, safety regulations, and public policy. By joining a union, you benefit from these larger efforts to improve conditions for workers across your sector or region. While you may currently have parity with the unionized site in terms of wages and benefits, the union guarantees that you’ll continue to receive those benefits in the future, while also advocating for your interests and securing long-term stability and improvements

The USW stands for Unity and Strength for Workers

United Steelworkers has a long and proud history of representing our members. Our forefathers fought for these rights that we cherish today.

We strive to negotiate collective agreements that promote strong health and safety language, fair wages, pension plans as well as equitable treatment for all, regardless of race, colour, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, political or religious affiliation, or disabilities.

Our members work in nearly every industry and in every job imaginable, in all regions of the country. We work in call centres and credit unions, mines and manufacturing plants, offices and oil refineries, restaurants and rubber plants, sawmills and steel mills and security companies. We work in nursing homes, legal clinics, social agencies, and universities.

At USW, we believe that member participation and input is essential to the successful operation of the organization.

Price and profits continue to grow at double and triple digits while pay increases stay in the low single digits. Big companies and governments are rapidly doing away with our middle class. Without strong representations we will not achieve good wage increases, better Benefits Plans, strong Health & Safety language.
We need your help to help all those individuals that do not have a voice and to help them enjoy the same benefits that we do as USW members.

If you have any friends or family that are working without a collective agreement, they are subject to the employer changing their wages, benefits, pension, and any other working conditions up to and including termination without any accountability. We often take for granted how lucky we are to have union
representations that helps us secure our future and working conditions.

Many of us have friends and family working in situations that maybe unsafe, or they may not be earning a reasonable wage and have a decent compensation package for the work they preform and are afraid to speak up without fear of reprisal. They cannot get there alone, and they need your help and support
moving forward.

USW will be able to help them and their family’s in their workplace. All information is kept strictly
confidential the employer will never find out who has contacted the union.

Chad