Company Tricks

Common tricks that employers play during a campaign

TRICK #1 - WORKPLACE CLOSURE
Supervisors and company officials will tell you that your workplace may close because of the union. They will tell you that a union is bad for business - anything to make you fear you’ll lose your job if you vote for the union.

TRUTH
It is illegal for the company to close, or even to threaten to close the workplace because the union is voted in. Workplaces close for economic reasons - and the vast majority of those workplaces are non-union. If your company is really in bad financial shape, let them prove it by opening their books.

TRICK #2 - STRIKE TALK
Your supervisor or another company official may tell you that the union will force you out on strike - whether you want to or not. They will tell you that during a strike you can lose your job forever. They will ask you how your family will survive if you are forced out on strike.

TRUTH
When the company threatens that the union will force you out on strike, they are misleading you. The union doesn’t force you on strike. A strike is a decision voted on by you and your co-workers. If a majority of you don’t want a strike, there won’t be one. 97% of all Unifor contracts are settled without strikes.

TRICK #3 - UNION DUES
The company will tell you that the union just wants your money. They may lie about the amount of dues you will pay as a member of Unifor.

TRUTH
Union dues are 1.35%. The improvements in pay, benefits, and fair treatment that you will gain by having a union, are far greater than the cost of dues.  Any organization that “works for you” is worth paying for. It is important to remember that you don’t pay dues until you negotiate and accept a contract by secret ballot vote. As well, union dues are tax deductible.

TRICK #4 - CONFLICT
The company will try to scare you by saying that the union will bring violence and conflict. Near vote time, the company may cause problems or conflicts, then blame it on the union.

TRUTH
Unifor exists to solve problems peacefully. With Unifor, workers and management sit down as equals and discuss problems that come up. This does not create violence, it avoids it.

TRICK #5 - ANTI UNION COMMITTEE
Before the union vote, a so-called “Vote No Committee” will mysteriously appear. The Anti-Union Committee will do the company’s dirty work. They may pass out literature filled with the company’s lies about the union, or they may spread rumors and insult co-workers who support the union. The Vote No Committee members may be recruited from friends and relatives of someone in management. Usually they are promised special treatment or a promotion for their dirty work.

TRUTH
The company knows that if you and your co-workers are united, you can stand up and win your rights. The aim of the Anti-Union Committee is to divide people and create hatred. The company tries to divide us, but the union brings us together. Don’t let it happen to you.

TRICK #6 - UNION BOSSES
The company will tell you that the union will take your dues money to pay the high salaries of union bosses. They will say that you will never benefit from any of this money.

TRUTH
Unifor members decide how their dues are spent. Union dues are used locally to make our union strong. The rest goes toward a range of professional services that work for you. All decisions about the union’s finances are made by delegates whom you elect from your local union to attend national conventions and councils.

TRICK #7 - NO CONTRACT
The company will tell you that they won’t ever sign a
contract even if you vote for Unifor. Since it is illegal for the company to say this directly, they may say, “Remember, we don’t have to agree to what you want in the contract.”

TRUTH
Your company is legally required to negotiate with the union you choose. Nearly every company talks tough before workers organize. But it’s in the company’s interest to keep its employees satisfied and keep the work flowing. After you present your employer with reasonable contract proposals, a settlement usually occurs.

TRICK #8 - BARGAINING FROM SCRATCH
The company will tell you that when you negotiate a
contract, you’ll lose the wages and benefits you already have. Although it is illegal, the company will say you’ll be bargaining from scratch.

TRUTH
When you negotiate a first contract, you start with the pay and benefits you currently have and build on them. You’ll decide what to ask for in your contract, then vote on it. The strength of your contract will depend on the strength and participation of you and your coworkers in your union.

Please share this info with your coworkers, to generate more support in the campaign.

You can also share the link to our website https://join.unifor.org/gfx_whitby_updates , where we will keep adding more news and information and share the QR code with your coworkers.

In Solidarity

John MacDonald
[email protected]
416.998.4835