They protect you and your job. How? They do it by:

• Collective Agreements: We negotiate with the employers to set conditions that both sides are willing to work under.
• Constitutions: Members create a set of rules which our union must abide by. It’s a democratic process for running the union.
• Voting: We vote by secret ballot for the election of officers. We vote by either a show of hands or by ballots for the passage of union betterment and monetary issues.
• Stewards: We appoint job stewards or union representatives to ensure fairness and contract adherence on the job.
• Grievances: We grieve unfair labour practices to the proper government bodies. We protect worker rights.
• Arbitration: We seek arbitration on issues that cannot be resolved in an easy manner.
• Union Dues: We collect union dues to enable us to do the aforementioned work. All members vote on the amount of union dues that will be paid by the membership.

A union is a democratic organization. The basic idea of union is that by joining together with fellow employees to form a union, workers have a greater ability to improve conditions at the work site.

es. In every single case, when CISIWU has organized unrepresented employees our contracts always contain improvements in wages and working conditions. In all cases, the increases have been substantial. Once certified and any transitional agreements have expired, all new members will enjoy all the benefits of the existing Collective Agreement.

Yes. As a union member, you can only be disciplined and/or terminated with just and reasonable cause. A negotiated grievance procedure provides unionized workers an avenue to dispute discipline or termination if they disagree with management. Without a union, the employer does not need just and reasonable cause for discipline and/or termination. Union contracts help make sure that everyone is treated fairly and equally on the job.

It is illegal for you to be fired, punished or harassed for attending union meetings or for supporting a union. The law protects your right as workers to improve your working conditions.