Union Membership is Your Right

Working people have struggled for fair wages, safe working conditions and fair treatment since the dawn of the industrial age. They have found that the only effective way to meet the power held by employers and supervisors is to act together rather than as individuals. This collective action is most often expressed by joining a union.

Manitoba Labour Laws guarantee every employee the right to be a union member. Whether you exercise that right is your choice. Your employer cannot tell you that you can't join a union or threaten reprisal if you choose to do so.

The specific reasons that prompt a person to choose union membership vary from individual to individual, but they generally include the desire for improved wages and benefits, more on-the-job respect, and increased job security. In Manitoba, if the majority of a company's employees indicate they want to be members of a union, they are entitled by law to do so.

The first step in the process is to demonstrate to the Manitoba Labour Board that a group of workers are interested in obtaining the benefits of union membership. This is generally done by having the workers sign a union membership application card.

If between 40 and 65 per cent of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit sign application cards, the Labour Board will hold a secret ballot vote to determine the wishes of the majority of people in that workplace. Union certification will be granted if in excess of 50 per cent of the workers mark their ballot in favour of union membership. If 65 per cent or more of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit signed union membership application cards, the Labour Board can automatically certify the union and a vote is not required.

If you presently don't enjoy the benefits of union membership, think about it. For more information about unions and union membership, check the contents of this web site, follow the links from this site to the web sites of other Manitoba unions, or contact the MFL office for more information about how to become a union member.