MYTH: “The union can’t promise anything”
TRUTH: This just isn’t true. While terms of the local contract must be negotiated, joining CUPE means having strong representation if/when you need it, not having to face management alone, a collective voice at work and the power to win improvements to your job.
Joining a union means you can raise issues without fear of reprisal and have a set of rules that your employer must follow. Right now, for non-union employees, the employer gets to set the rules regardless of how they might affect the workers, and they can apply them unfairly or change them whenever they want.
When you join a union, you have “just cause” protection meaning you can’t be disciplined or terminated without just cause.
That’s a promise.
MYTH: “Unionizing will result in wage reductions or layoffs”
TRUTH: Wages don’t go down when workers organize a union. Unionized workers have job security, in terms of seniority recognition, and layoff language including layoff and recall processes, that non-union workers do not enjoy.
MYTH: “Unions force workers to go out on strike”
TRUTH: Unions negotiate for collective agreements – not strikes. No union wants a strike, but they are sometimes necessary when there is no other way to reach an agreement. To union members, a strike means sacrifice – for themselves and their families. Workers won’t go on strike unless the issues involved are so great they are worth the sacrifice.
There are legislative parameters in the Alberta Labour Relations Code that need to be met before workers can engage in job action and unions always conduct membership votes before taking strike action and a strike occurs only when it has been approved by a clear majority.
In collective bargaining, strikes are the exception rather than the rule. We repeat: the exception. About 97% of all union contracts are settled without a strike, but this fact never seems to make the headlines.
But unions also absolutely defend the right to strike. The right to withhold one’s labour in unison with fellow workers is crucial to maintaining a democratic society. As workers, we trade our labour in order to provide for ourselves and our families. If we do not have the right to withdraw those services, we no longer have anything with which to negotiate – and not much of a democracy, either.
MYTH: “Unions protect bad employees or employees that should be fired”
TRUTH: No union contract requires an employer to keep a worker who is lazy, incompetent, or constantly absent or tardy. What the union does is make sure dismissals are for “just cause” – for real reasons– and not personality clashes between supervisors and employees.
Unions are guided by their duty of fair representation. This requires unions to act in good faith – they must not act arbitrarily or discriminatorily.
If there is a “bad” employee in your workplace, it is not the union that is protecting them, it is the employer.
MYTH: Unions are always making unreasonable demands
TRUTH: What is a reasonable wage demand? One that meets the workers’ needs? One based on the employer’s ability to pay? One that’s tied to productivity? Or one that the business media thinks is responsible?
The fact is, nobody has yet devised a workable formula for determining wage increases that would be considered “reasonable” by the workers, by their employers, by the public, by the press and by the government.
Bargaining involves two parties – the union and the employer. If standardized terms affect flexibility in compensation and other terms, such as scheduling, time off, working from home, promotions, and vacations through bargaining, that is likely because the employer no longer wants to offer these terms.
The union cannot “get” anything the employer isn’t willing to give during bargaining.
Standardizing terms of employment within a collective agreement is not bad and it does not mean employers can no longer recognize individual differences. Unions want standardized terms of employment to ensure fair and equitable treatment for workers. Standardize terms of employment help establish a level playing field for all workers and ensures that employees performing similar tasks or roles receives comparable compensation, benefits, and working conditions.
MYTH: Unions will pressure workers to sign a union card or petition.
TRUTH: Union organizers and insider unions supporters should not pressure anyone to sign a union card or petition – ever. Pressuring a worker to sign a union card or petition could serve as grounds for the Board to reject an application or certification.
This type of behaviour during an organizing campaign is not legal and could compromise the entire integrity of the campaign.
Union organizers and inside workplace organizers are strongly encouraged to conduct themselves honestly and are trained in best practices. Should there ever be an issue with how workers are approached by a union organizer, please reach out to CUPE organizer Brigitte Benoit at bbenoit@cupe.ca immediately.