Stand Up for Fairness

Health and Safety

Unions have been at the forefront in negotiating better Health & Safety provisions to protect workers from occupational diseases, illnesses, injuries or even death.

Today, unions continue to lobby the government to improve Health & Safety laws, to ensure that all workplaces have the right training and policies in practice, such as office ergonomics, emergency preparedness, and workplace violence prevention.

Image of mother reading to her young child

Image of a worker on the job wearing a construction helmet

Image of an elderly couple outside smiling

Sick Leave

When you’re sick, you’re sick! You should be able to stay home and take the time you need to rest and get better without a loss in pay. Unfortunately, many people do not have this option so they go to work sick in order to make ends meet.

Unions believe this is wrong and have won the right to paid sick leave for their members. But they didn’t stop there. Unions continue to lobby the government in order to raise labour standards, so that all working people are entitled to paid sick leave. Whether you have a cold or you’re going in for surgery, you should be able to take the time you need to recover and still pay the bills.

Pay Equity

Did you know that 20 years ago women used to earn up to 38% less than men who were working the same job with the same level of experience? If this sounds unfair, it’s because it is. That’s why unions took action – negotiating provisions in contracts and even taking the government to court. From this, the Pay Equity Act was introduced in Ontario, mandating that no one should be paid less because of gender.

The fight is not over. Unions continue to push for “equal pay for work of equal value” to reduce the wage gap for women.

Parental Leave

We have a lot to thank unions for including Parental Leave. Unions helped to create a better work life/family life balance by winning the right for parents to take paid time off to raise children. Now, all workers who are pregnant, have recently given birth, are adopting a child, or are caring for a newborn have access to this benefit.

Fair Wages

Do you think you are being underpaid for the work you do? Don’t just sit there and complain about it. Join a union! Studies show that workers that are part of a union make more money. And when people make more money, individuals, families and communities are stronger and healthier. How do unions do it? They engage in the collective bargaining process and negotiate with employers to ensure that employees are getting paid fairly.

Paid Vacations

Are you heading to the beach or going on a camping trip with your family? You can thank unions for that. Unions pushed for paid vacation time so that we could take some time off to recover and regenerate. Currently, Canadian workers are entitled to a minimum of two weeks of vacation after one year of work, with only Saskatchewan guaranteeing three weeks. Unions remain active in the fight to get at least three weeks of annual leave for all workers across Canada.

Strong Public Services

Unions work hard to protect public services in Ontario communities.

Your public services are constantly under attack because of cutbacks and privatization. Unions work hard to protect the public services we depend on in our communities – from schools and libraries to hospitals and long-term care facilities. They challenge the attacks head-on through community advocacy and political outreach.

Collective Bargaining Works

It’s the process that gets you all of these benefits

Elected representatives from the workers sit down with people representing the management, and they come to a fair agreement that meets the needs of both sides.

You Deserve Better.

When unions stand up for workers, practices that used to be unheard of (such as paid sick time, fair wages and parental leave) become the norm across the country.
This raises the standard of living for all of us, providing us with the services and benefits that we enjoy.

Life is better with unions.
Stand up for fairness.

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