Joining a Union

It’s your legal right to join a union. Under the law, employers are prohibited from interfering in a union’s organizing campaign. The law prohibits an employer from intimidating or harassing workers to discourage them from joining a union. It’s against the law for an employer to demote or discriminate against you because you have joined a union. It is even unlawful for an employer to make threats to try to scare you away from the union. For specifics, please see “What an Employer May Not Do.”

Six Steps to Unionising at Your Place of Employment

Once you have decided that you want to join the IATSE, here are the steps involved in a typical organizing campaign.

1. Contact the Organizing Department at organizing@iatse-intl.org
   
   
2. Sign an IATSE membership card. The federal jurisdiction and each province have laws covering your right to join a union. The membership card you sign is confidential. Only the Labour Board sees the cards. Your employer never sees the cards or a list of who has joined the union.
   
   
3. A majority of the people in your workplace sign IATSE membership cards. The federal government and each province have laws regarding the exact percentage of workers who must sign cards. [Your IATSE representative will be able to provide you with the information for your area.]
   
   
4. When enough cards have been signed, the IATSE will file an application with the Labour Board to represent you.
   
   
5. The Labour Board reviews the application and will either order a vote or certify the union automatically, depending on the province.
   
   
6. Once the certificate is issued, the IATSE serves notice to your employer to start negotiations for your first collective agreement.