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Unifor and Magna-Belleville workers are Stronger Together!

Unifor has recently started a conversation with workers at Magna in Belleville ON around organizing a union in the workplace. Workers have taken the first step to establishing fairness, respect, dignity and the means to make meaningful and lasting changes to your working conditions. We have had questions from Magna workers about how the process works, so we wanted to let you know the seven steps required to gain Unifor representation at work.

How a Union Drive Works

All workers in Canada have a fundamental legal right to join a union. Unifor wants to give you the facts about how the unionization process works and make sure you have what you need to make an informed decision, free from any misinformation provided by your employer.

Seven steps in joining the union

Step 1. Sign up for contact from a Unifor Organizer

• Fill out your contact information, an organizer from Unifor, will make contact and answer any questions you may have.
• Once we have reached our goal of obtaining enough contacts at the plants, then we will move to Step 2 and release cards for Magna Workers to join Unifor.
  
  Share this link today, with a co-worker, family member or someone you know working inside Plants 1, 2, 3 at the Magna Auto Systems in Belleville, ON.

Step 2. Signing your card

• Magna workers sign a union card to join the union. The employer will never know you have signed a card, and the process is completely confidential, you can either sign a confidential electronic card, or a physical card.

Step 3. Filing for Certification

• Once enough workers have signed their union card, Unifor can apply to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to initiate a vote. The OLRB requires a minimum of 40% of employees to sign a union card before the application can be filed, typically Unifor will file at a higher percentage of support to ensure we will win the vote.
• Once the union files for the vote, you start with the pay and benefits you currently have and build on them. Your working conditions are frozen during a statutory freeze to give you the opportunity to bargain your first collective agreement.
  

Step 4. Voting for your Union

• Magna workers then vote by secret ballot to approve the union drive. A simple majority of 50% plus one is needed to win the vote and certify the union. Votes in Ontario have been conducted online from the privacy of your own home or with our own smart device. 
• When we are sucessful in voting above 50%, we move to Step 5 - Electing your bargaining represenatives

Step 5. Electing your bargaining representatives

• As new Unifor members, workers will be assigned to a local union that can best support the workers at Magna. At this point, you will begin electing representatives from your workplace for bargaining with Magna. There are several other positions workers will elect, but the first elections will be for your bargaining committee. This will be a committee of co-workers elected to steer your first contract negotiations in a direction decided by the workers at Magna. Your newly elected union representatives will get to work immediately and have the support of Unifor resources and staff at every step of negotiations. 

Step 6. Bargaining your first contract

• As previously stated, after you elect your bargaining committee, they will start bargaining your first collective agreement with management representatives of Magna. Bargaining will cover wages, benefits and pensions, work scheduling and job bidding processes, grievances, holidays and vacations, and more.
• Once your elected bargaining committee and employer have reached a tentative agreement, all the Magna workers will vote on the deal. If workers vote to ratify, Magna's management will be legally bound to the terms of the agreement as decided on by workers.
• The employer is obligated and legally bound to bargain in good faith, and not to go on strike in the first agreement. 

Step 7. Your Magna Union

• As a Unifor member, you are the union.
• Magna workers will fill positions elected within your union. Your union is there for you around the clock every single day to protect your rights and ensure that management does not violate the terms of your collective agreement. Unifor National Representatives assist at every step to offer guidance, research and education that your representatives need to work on your behalf.