Real unions are a creation of the workers in a workplace coming together, setting their own priorities and electing their own leaders to be their representatives.

The AEA and the WEA are none of these things, and you deserve better.

Rather than being your voice and your representatives, the AEA and the WEA are creations of the employer, set up to make you think you don’t need a real union. The employer sets the priorities for its internal employee associations.

And, just like that, it can decide that the internal company-run associations have run their course and decided on its own that a whole new structure for such groups are needed, just as WestJet did recently.

You would think that when such changes are made, the AEA and the WEA would consult with you about any changes that might be needed, and how to implement them - or the employer would do that, since we all know that’s who is really in charge at the AEA and WEA any way.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, the company simply promoted a couple of internal association officials to new jobs, restructured the whole thing and sent you a memo about it all – a memo that raised more questions than it answered.

Real unions don’t work that way. Real unions, like Unifor, are worker-driven.

To be fair, sometimes changes are needed. Old structures become outdated in a changing workforce, and every organization has a responsibility to make sure its operations are as effective and efficient as possible.

The same is true at Unifor, which is why three years ago we launched the Local Union Task Force. It travelled the country talking to members – both Local leaders and rank and file members, about how their union can better reflect their needs and desires. That progress is ongoing and is helping to make more voices to be better heard.

That’s what real unions do. They listen to their members and they act, whether it’s about grievances that come up day-to-day, the best response to new policies such as uniforms or holiday scheduling, what the priorities should be during contract talks, or even the very structure of your union.

And that’s the kind of union that you deserve – and that you need as Onex’s full takeover gets closer and closer.

To sign a Unifor membership card, or to find out how you can help you co-workers sign a card, please contact one of your organizers.

To help achieve that, sign a Unifor card and help your co-workers do the same. For more information on how you can help, contact one of your Organizers.

All calls are confidential.

Ontario
Billy O'Neill, Unifor
[email protected] | 416-605-1443

Quebec
Ada Zampini, Unifor
[email protected] | 514-701-6227

Prairies
Bruce Fafard, Unifor
[email protected] | 587-341-0945

British Columbia
Simon Lau, Unifor
[email protected] | 778-928-9630

Atlantic
Patrick Murray, Unifor
[email protected] | 506-850-7996