Thank you for signing up for your Unifor membership card! By joining together, you’ve taken the first step toward building a fairer, more secure workplace for all of you at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.

We’re excited about the campaign's progress and the progress being made toward your goal of collective bargaining. Sitting as equals with your employer is the only real way to achieve long-lasting changes that benefit everyone. Whether it’s fair wages, secure working conditions, or protecting your rights, collective bargaining allows you to make these changes a reality.

Billy Bragg Supports Unionization

I also want to reflect on last week's Billy Bragg concert at Massey Hall. As you may know, Billy took time during his performance to express concern about the venues he visits where stagehands are unionized, but Bar staff and Ushers still need to be unionized. He offered solidarity with your campaign and supported the idea of becoming part of the union. Hearing someone with his influence support your efforts is inspiring and highlights how much this movement matters.

What's Next?

So what happens next after you’ve signed your confidential membership card? Here’s a quick guide to the six steps of joining the union:

Step 1: Signing Your Card
You and your coworkers sign a union card to join Unifor. This process is entirely confidential; your employer will never know you’ve signed a card.

Step 2: Filing for Certification
Once enough workers have signed cards, Unifor can apply to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to initiate a vote. We need at least 40% of employees to sign cards, though we aim for much more support to ensure a strong position.

Step 3: Voting for Your Union
Workers then vote by secret ballot to approve the union drive. A simple majority (50% + 1) is needed to win the vote and certify the union.

Step 4: Electing Your Union Representatives
As Unifor members, you’ll be assigned to a local union. The next step is electing representatives from your workplace, including a bargaining committee that will lead contract negotiations.

Step 5: Bargaining Your First Contract
After electing your committee, you’ll negotiate your first collective agreement with management, covering wages, benefits, scheduling, grievances, and more. Once an agreement is reached, all workers will vote on the deal, and no union dues are paid until it’s ratified.

Step 6: Your Union
As Unifor members, you are the union. Workers hold elected positions within your union, and you work together to protect your rights and ensure management upholds the agreement. Unifor is there for you, offering guidance and support every step of the way.

This is just the beginning. You can achieve great things for everyone working together at Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the next steps or need more information. Let's keep the momentum going!

Thanks!

Billy O'Neill
[email protected]