A BETTER WAY TO WORK.

burnout. Layoffs.

AI reshaping jobs.

If something feels off, The Tech Union helps workers understand their options — and protect job security, predictability, and working conditions, without going it alone.

Learn what's possible at your workplace

where better gets built

real change happens when workers understand their rights and work together.

decades of experience built for today’S tech workforce

For decades, the United Steelworkers has represented technicians and skilled workers across telecommunications, manufacturing, and other technology-driven sectors.

Today, that experience matters more than ever. As work is reshaped by automation, outsourcing, and constant change, tech workers are turning to organizations with the knowledge to protect job security, fairness, and working conditions

Every year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW — not to make noise, but to gain stability, a collective voice, and clear agreements that set expectations for pay, safety, and respect at work.

Talk confidentially to learn your options

tech workplaces where Workers are already represented

HOW WILL A UNION IMPROVE MY WORKPLACE?

Technological changes to how work is done don’t have to mean constant uncertainty.
Unionized workers operate under clear agreements that define how layoffs, discipline, and evolving working conditions are handled. That clarity brings transparency, predictability, and fairness to the workplace.
When workers act together, they’re able to negotiate from a position of strength.
Union representation recognizes that trust matters, but it also puts protections in place when you can’t depend on goodwill alone.
Clear processes help ensure pay, safety, and job security issues are handled fairly, with experienced support if workers face discipline, termination, or workplace harassment.
The last few years have shown how exposed workers are to inflation.
When wages don’t keep pace, the impact is felt immediately. Through collective bargaining, unionized workers are able to address these issues at the negotiating table so pay keeps up as costs rise. Some agreements include cost-of-living adjustments that automatically respond when inflation increases.
Data from Statistics Canada shows that unionized workers typically earn about 10-15% more than their non-unionized counterparts.
Long hours and unpredictable schedules take a real toll over time.
When workers negotiate together, expectations around overtime, scheduling, and pay are clearly defined, including how work outside normal hours is handled. That clarity makes it easier to plan life outside of work and ensures extra time and effort are recognized fairly.
A strong union helps establish boundaries that support healthier work patterns, greater job satisfaction, and pride in the work itself.
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.

See how change actually happens

Advantages of Forming a Union

Job Security
Higher Wages
Reliable Benefits
Better Working Conditions
A Collective Voice
Workplace Legal Protection

You deserve better.

What would “better” actually look like at your workplace?

Better is built

YOU ARE PROTECTED WHEN WORKers act together

You can discuss unionizing with your co-workers during non-working hours, including 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, with union support, if your employer has 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 for your opinion about 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 available to answer any questions about your rights. You can contact a union organizer at any time. We are here to help.

Learn how the law applies at your workplace

Build a better workplace

A Union Organizer will work with you to build a clear plan for connecting with your co-workers and discussing the challenges you face at work.
Together, you’ll identify shared concerns and explore how forming a union can help workers improve their conditions.
Talk with your co-workers about the issues you experience at work and what meaningful improvements could look like.
Over time, these conversations help clarify which concerns are widely shared and whether a majority of your colleagues support forming a union at your workplace.
Workers connect with one another to make sure concerns are widely shared and understood. With guidance from a Union Organizer, people decide whether unionizing makes sense for them.
When a majority of workers are ready, they sign union cards to formally indicate support for forming a union.
Signing a union card is strictly confidential.
Your employer is never told who has signed or given access to these cards.
Once enough union cards have been signed, our legal team will file an application to certify the union with the appropriate Labour Relations Board.
Depending on factors such as whether your workplace is regulated provincially or federally, a formal vote to unionize may be required.
When a union card count or certification vote confirms that your workplace has chosen to unionize, the Labour Relations Board formally recognizes the union.
From that point forward, the United Steelworkers becomes your official representative at work, and the employer is legally notified of that decision.
Experienced United Steelworkers negotiators support you and your co-workers as your first collective agreement is negotiated. Union members decide what to negotiate, with priorities set democratically by workers themselves.
When the union’s bargaining committee reaches a tentative agreement with your employer, workers vote on whether to accept it. This process is called ratification. When more than 50% vote in favour, the contract is ratified.
Members do not pay union dues until a collective agreement is in place.

Connect with a Union Organizer

HEAR FROM WORKERS WHO’VE BEEN THERE

“Rogers gave hundreds of us a shock one morning when they gave us an ultimatum: quit or get transferred to Ericsson. This was extremely disruptive for us and our families as we went from having all the benefits of being Rogers employees to being contractors. The ability to feed our pensions – gone. Benefits began getting chipped away. Job security all but vanished.
Organizing with the USW gave us that stability back. If you’re a Rogers tech anywhere in Canada that’s not protected by a contract yet, learn from what happened to us. We all thought we were relatively safe but learned the hard way what these big companies actually think of their workers.
Unionize now and protect what you still have!”

— Field Tech, Ericsson Canada (formally Rogers Wireless)
“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 me and my family into an extremely secure job that we can depend on long term.”

— Apprentice Journeyman Technician, Rogers (formally Shaw)
“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

You have the legal right to Unionize your workplace.

The right to form a union is protected under Canadian law.

Some employers may resist unionizing efforts. Knowing your rights matters.

If your employer violates these rights during the unionizing process, contact your USW Union Organizer immediately. These conversations should take place outside of work hours.

You are not required to navigate this process alone.

FOR WORKERS, THERE IS real 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

The United Steelworkers represents hundreds of thousands of technicians and skilled workers
across Canada and North America, spanning every major industry.

Each year, thousands of workers choose the United Steelworkers for its proven ability to secure better wages, benefits, and pensions, and to protect dignity, safety, and respect at work through strong, enforceable agreements.