Clerical workers at Trillium Health Partners are signing cards to build the collective power to win wage increases, job security, fair job posting and hiring processes, just-cause protection, health and safety protection and a stronger voice at work to address concerns around workload and staffing. It is common for employers try to discourage workers from forming a union by spreading misinformation. Here are some of the most common myths about unionization:
MYTH: “‘The union’ will come between you and management, and hurt our positive relationship” OR “‘The union’ will make changes to your job in ways you don’t want, and you won’t have a say; you will lose your ability to negotiate one-on-one”
TRUTH: In CUPE, there is no “union” separate and apart from you and your co-workers. With a union you and your coworkers are united and stronger together, because united you have more power to win the changes that YOU decide YOU want to win together. How well does one-on-one negotiations between a worker and their employer work anyway? Not usually very well, especially on the big issues.
MYTH: “You will pay dues and lose more than you gain”
TRUTH: CUPE Local 5180 union dues are 1.7% and are tax-deductible. Dues are the resources that workers pool together to build strong campaigns and contracts that win improvements to wages, staffing, benefits and working conditions. Hospital workers have won 14.25% in wage increases from 2021-24, huge increases to shift and weekend premiums, and many other improvements. Dues were the resources they used in their campaign when the hospitals refused to negotiate real wage increases.
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 a really good reason.
MYTH: “Unionizing will result in wage reductions or layoffs”
TRUTH: Wages don’t go down when workers organize a union (in fact the ability to negotiate fair wage increases is a common reason that workers organize a union). Unionized hospital workers have powerful job security protections that non-union hospital workers do not enjoy. Without a union at THP, the emloyer can unilaterally change duties and job descriptions at any time.
MYTH: “Unions force workers to go out on strike”
TRUTH: Workers never go out on strike without a vote – it’s a collective decision to use union power to win. In the hospital sector, the right to strike is replaced by binding arbitration.