Be part of the labour movement.

Join the Public Service Alliance of Canada and give yourself the rights to collective bargaining and union representation.

Dear FCM colleagues,

In the spring of 2023 a group of FCMers came together to discuss some common priorities that have come up over the years. We love our work at FCM, and we know it could be even better if we had a say in our working conditions. We decided we wanted to belong to a union.

Most municipal employees across the country benefit from union representation as well as our program partners with the Federal government. We have seen first-hand the positive impact of a unionized workplace.

We contacted the Public Service Alliance of Canada and started working with them on an organizing drive. Some of us have been PSAC members in previous jobs and we all know PSAC members within the National Capital Region.

Our campaign is thriving. We’ve been building capacity through the word-of-mouth. We are now ready to take our organizing efforts public to reach out to more of you. PSAC has been helping us along the way, but this is very much our union drive.

Sign your union membership card online or use a paper card, it is the first step ! We are available if you want to know more about us and the union drive. Feel free to reach out to PSAC and they will put you in touch with one of us.

Thanks for your support!

In solidarity,

Your FCM organizing team

What is a union?

Non-unionized workers are covered by the Ontario Employment Standards Act which sets minimum working conditions. They individually have to enforce their rights.

A union is an organization of employees that regulates labour relations between employees and the employer.

Unionized workers gain the right to bargaining collectively and to union representation when issues arise.

Unions negotiate improvements to pay and benefits, but also non-monetary items such as hours of work, staffing procedures, enhanced leave entitlements for family responsibilities that are also important to maintain a heathy work-life balance and feel respected at work.

Unions help reduce isolation. You are not alone if something happens at work and you don’t have to talk to the employer alone.

When working together, workers are stronger and achieve more.

Workers organize their workplaces for fairness, dignity, protection and respect, but you do NOT need to have workplace issues to join a union.

News from the campaign

The truth about union-avoidance

FCM has retained the services of labour relations advice to deal with this union drive.

Employers often launch a counter campaign when they learn about an organizing drive. They may even hire external legal firms or labour consultants to assist with their efforts, preventing the workplace to become unionized.

The Ontario Labour Relations Act is clear on employees’ rights to join a union and what an employer can and cannot do. FCM is allowed to share their views as long as they do not use intimidation, coercion or threats.

Why a union at FCM?

Some of the bargaining demands could be:

  • A pay scale with clear and negotiated annual steps that recognize your experience as you gain seniority inside the organization.

  • Negotiated annual economic wage increases in line with inflation.

These monetary items can ensure compensation equity by ending double-standards and arbitrary decisions by establishing clear rules and guidelines. It also increases financial security as workers know what they will earn every year during the life of the collective agreement.

  • Increased job security and language on precarious employment to help retain contract workers when programs come to an end.

  • Job classification analysis and reclassification to ensure compensation equity in jobs with similar tasks.

  • Fairness in application of leave policies.

  • Securing in the collective agreement current terms such as summer Fridays.

  • Remote work language.

  • Transparency.

  • Improved benefits plan.

  • Improved pension benefits to retire with dignity.

  • Fair policies on overtime.

  • Fair access to lieu time.

  • Improved work-life balance.

  • Improved language on the Right to disconnect.

What is FCM afraid of?

A union belongs to its members and gives them an equal voice with the employer. It is you as an FCM employee, you will have the opportunity to determine your bargaining demands. There is NO reason why the workplace would become rigid with more rules, unless that’s something FCM wants.

The negotiation process is a dialogue between the parties. FCM will also submit a package of proposals to the bargaining team.

What about FCM’s culture?

There is no reason why FCM’s culture would change following unionization. A positive workplace culture requires both employees and the employer to thrive around core values and meaningful purposes. Empowered employees can only strengthen a workplace culture.

FCM  is no longer the small non-profit organization it used to be. It has grown exponentially in the last 10 years and will continue to grow.

A heavier management structure makes it difficult to be effectively well-informed of staff realities.

The union can overcome this obstacle and improve labour relations in a positive experience, including for management.

This drive can be an opportunity to build together the next 50 years and provide workers with a say on how FCM looks like as a workplace.

Do not hesitate to contact PSAC or your FCM organizing team for first-hand information about this campaign.  

Some union busting tactics might also include:

  • Use the Team Leaders against the union

  • Meet with workers one on one

  • Hold captive audience meetings to ‘’inform'' employees of the union drive

  • Send an email to all employees to ‘’inform’’ them of the drive

  • Surveillance/spy on union supporters and organizers

  • Discredit the PSAC leadership

  • Focus on negative media regarding unions

  • Talk about the union as a “third” party

  • Make statements like “We are all one big happy family”

  • Rehabilitate or humanize the employer

  • Start a “loyalty” committee or a social committee

  • Send out surveys on just about everything

  • Make promises

  • Provide you with information from employer-side anti-union website labourwatch.com

  • Scare you with union dues and strikerikes

Anti-union campaigns are as old as unions. Famous American union buster Martin Levitt, explains how fear and front-line supervisors are used in union-avoidance campaigns.

Did you know?

Joining a union has been framed in a positive and non-conflictual way in the legislation.

Some of the purposes of the OLRA found in the Act (section 2) include:

  • Promoting flexibility, productivity and employee involvement in the workplace.

  • Encouraging communication between employers and employees in the workplace.

  • Encouraging co-operative participation of employers and trade unions in resolving workplace issues.