YOUR ROLE AS A UNION MEMBER.

The most important thing to know about your union is that YOU are the union. A union is only as strong, effective and powerful as the members who participate in its operation and activities.

You can best exercise that power by being informed, involved and active in your union.

Every member can take a number of simple steps to make your union a more powerful and effective vehicle for advancing your interests and the interests of your colleagues. These steps include:

• Read your contract and keep it handy – Your contract delineates your rights and benefits at work and represents the focus of your union’s activity.
• Submit ideas for contract proposals – When contracts come up for renegotiation members have the opportunity to submit proposals to be considered for inclusion in the negotiation. This is your opportunity to propose changes or new ideas to improve your workplace.
• Go to your union leadership if you have a question – If you are unclear about what your contract says, or what your union is doing to address an issue, go to one of your elected leaders and ask them.
• Attend meetings – Don’t hesitate to engage with fellow members and local leadership – you have a voice.
• Participate in and vote in the election of leaders of your unit – Your bargaining unit has by-laws that dictate a process for holding elections of its leadership and negotiating team. If you have the time, run for election. If you don’t have time, learn about who is running. If you know of a member who shares your views and is a strong leader, encourage them to run for election. Make sure you vote.
• Participate in the activities of the bargaining unit –As your union does its work on your behalf, it will engage in a number of activities, including leafleting, member surveys, petition drives, picketing and, if needed, strike votes and even strikes. The success of all of these activities depends on broad participation by the membership. If your union is engaged in an activity, participate. Remember the Union is you.

Again, you are the union and by engaging in some or all of these activities you can guarantee that the union is successful in representing your interests.