A BETTER WAY TO WORK.

IT’S TIME TO UNIONIZE.

Unionize with the USW Local 1944, Canada’s Information and Communications Technology Union. We're here to support an improved workplace for you and your coworkers, every step of the way.

Contact a Union Organizer

REPRESENTING WORKERS FOR OVER EIGHT DECADES

The United Steelworkers has a long and proud history of representing technicians and other skilled workers in diverse sectors like telecommunications, manufacturing, and higher education, just to name a few.

Every year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW, using their voices to negotiate collective agreements that promote fair wages, safe workplaces, and equitable treatment.

Chat with us to get started

Here are just a few places where you can find United Steelworkers Unionized Workers

HOW WILL A UNION IMPROVE MY WORKPLACE?

These last few years have proven how vulnerable we are to inflation.
News reports are full of stories about Union members standing together during negotiations, demanding that their wages don’t get left behind. Some Union Agreements even have clauses that include cost-of-living adjustments that automatically match spikes in inflation.
According to data from Statistics Canada, Unionized workers typically earn about 10-15% more than their non-Unionized counterparts.
When employers look to cut costs, benefits are an all too common target. Our families rely on consistent benefits to navigate the ups and downs. If a benefit that was there yesterday suddenly disappears, it can be quite traumatic and leave us scrambling.
Unionized employees often get better benefits like enhanced medical coverage, pensions, and paid leave. When protected by negotiated agreements, benefits cannot be cut on a whim by management.
Unionized workers are protected from arbitrary termination and discrimination, while collective agreements set fair limits on management's power to discipline, layoff, or alter working conditions.
Uniting as a collective voice, Union members exert more leverage with management than we can individually.
Negotiating in this fashion commonly enshrines in our collective agreements clear expectations around overtime, predictable shift scheduling, and fair compensation for work that needs to be done outside of normal days or hours.
A strong Union promotes building a workplace that supports a healthy work-life balance that increases job satisfaction and pride in your craft.
Together as a team, Union workers leverage collective representation to negotiate fair wages, safe conditions, and stronger job protections more effectively.
Unions provide legal support and representation for workers facing excessive discipline, wrongful termination, harassment, and other legal issues.

Together we can make things better

Advantages of Forming a Union

Higher Wages
Job Security
Reliable Benefits
Improved Conditions
Collective Bargaining
Legal Representation

You deserve better.

What improvements could a Union make at your workplace?

Let’s talk about how to make it happen

YOU ARE PROTECTED WHEN FORMING A UNION AT WORK

Discuss Unionizing with your co-workers during non-working hours – on breaks, at lunch, before and after your shift.
This includes:
- Holding meetings to discuss the merits of Unionizing
- Distributing informational Union materials outside of the workplace
- Handing out and signing Union cards outside of working hours
- Lodging a formal complaint against your employer with the help of the United Steelworkers Union if they have violated Canadian labour law
- Voting in favour of forming a Union without employer interference
- Remaining free from any employer interference regarding your decision to join a Union
- Asking your opinion of the Union
- Threatening Union supporters
- Offering preferential treatment (such as raises or better hours) to those opposing the Union
- Preventing employees from organizing a Union outside of work hours
- Distributing anti-Union materials to influence employees’ decisions
USW Local 1944 is always available to answer any questions about your rights. Contact a Union Organizer at any time. We are here to help.

It's time to start a Union

What steps are necessary
to Unionize?

A Union Organizer will work with you to develop a plan of action to identify and communicate with your colleagues about how forming a Union will benefit their workplace.
We reach out and speak with as many workmates as possible, learning about their concerns and exploring how Unionizing with USW can ensure your voices make a positive impact at work.
The majority need to sign a Union card which officially indicates the group’s support for forming a Union in your workplace.
This process is completely confidential.
Your employer never finds out who signed a Union card.
When we are confident enough Union cards are signed, USW Local 1944 will file an application to certify the Union with the relevant Labour Relations Board.
Depending on various factors, like whether your sector is regulated provincially or federally, a final vote to unionize may be required.
Once the result of the Union card count or Unionization vote has determined that workers have officially decided to join the USW, the relevant Labour Relations Board will notify the Union and the employer.
USW will support you and your coworkers as your first Union Agreement is bargained. Union members decide what to negotiate, with priorities set democratically by you.
When the Union’s bargaining committee reaches a tentative agreement with your employer, workers vote on whether to accept it—a process called ratification. When more than 50% vote in favour, the contract is ratified.
Members will not pay Union dues until a collective agreement is in place.

Chat with a Union Organizer today

WHAT ARE UNIONIZED WORKERS SAYING?

“Having a Union transforms your job - one where I am treated with respect, where my wages and benefits allow me to live with dignity and in relative comfort, and where my above-average paid vacation time allows me to enjoy a life outside of work.
Bargaining together against our employer gives us much more power than we’d have negotiating our conditions one-on-one with our boss.
Best of all, a union brings democracy to our workplace. Anyone can get involved in their own way, whether it’s sitting on a committee, organizing social events, or even running for an elected position.”

— Call Centre Worker, Telus
“Since organizing with the United Steelworkers Union a few years ago, so many things have changed for the better in our workplace.
Wages are better; job security is now a real thing; and best of all we no longer need permission to use the washroom!!”

— Monitoring Specialist, ADT
"I feel that being part of a union has given me the confidence that my concerns are heard and validated. Having a system in place to have our voice heard shows how many of us are experiencing the same struggles and gives us a way to make real changes.
Standing together with my unionized coworkers, I feel that we can persevere and build a better workplace for ourselves and the next generation of workers that come after us.”

— Field Technician, Telus
"Our technical staff were being compensated with wages that fell significantly below the industry standards for comparable positions.
By coming together to unionize, we were able to highlight the critical role our unique skills and expertise play in the overall success of the company and press for better treatment for ourselves at the bargaining table.
Through these efforts, we ensured that the true value of our contributions is now fairly and accurately reflected in the wages we earn."

— Service Technician, Securitas Technology
“A few months after the pandemic hit, my employer laid off dozens of technicians - employees they had previously celebrated as ‘essential workers’.
While the Union was fighting this action, I stayed on the recall list and eventually returned 9 months later. I didn’t lose seniority or have to start at a lower wage. In fact, I put my nose to the grindstone and became an Apprentice soon after and am well on my way to becoming a Journeyman.
The strong language in my Union agreement turned what could have been devastating to my family and I into an extremely secure job that we can depend on long term.”

— Apprentice Journeyman Technician, Rogers (formally Shaw)

You have the legal right to Unionize your workplace.

The right to form a Labour Union is enshrined under Canadian law.

Employers may resist Unionizing efforts, so know your rights.

If they violate them during the Unionizing process, contact your USW Union Organizer immediately, outside of work hours.

FOR WORKERS, THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

The United Steelworkers is one of the largest private sector Unions in North America with more than 225,000 Unionized members in Canada alone.

We're ready when you are

United Steelworkers proudly represents hundreds of thousands of Unionized technicians and skilled workers
across numerous industries in North America