In the PPWC, you and your coworkers best interests are represented in the workplace and at the bargaining table.
Our union is run by and for the membership.
Our membership has a say in all issues and have full power to elect the union executive by a referendum vote of the membership. Those elected are hard working individuals like you, who make sure that every voice is brought to light.
The Constitution of the PPWC is structured to maximize rank-and-file participation in National and Local Union affairs.
A biennial convention is held with representation from each local proportional to the number of local union members. During the convention, resolutions to amend the Constitution and promote social causes and political positions are vigorously debated.
We have many diverse locals in the PPWC that represent workers in a variety of areas:
Pulp mills
Sawmills
Healthcare
Community colleges
Manufacturing and recycling operations
Facility maintenance and operations throughout BC in every health authority
Insurance & credit unions
Taxi service dispatch
GTAP RCMP Headquarters operations
Aviation counter and field crew
Office staff in a wide variety of industries including trade unions
Questions and Answers (Coming Soon)
You would form a union if you want better working conditions, negotiated pay raises, better prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage, and if you want to put an end to unfair treatment and discrimination in your workplace.
You should join a union if you want to enjoy the “union advantage” that unionized workers have over non-unionized workers. That advantage includes better pay and benefits, enhanced workplace health and safety, and retirement security, among other benefits. By exercising your right to join a union, you can take control of your wages and working conditions and make sure that you and your co-workers are treated with dignity and respect.
In Canada, most workers in most industries have the legal right to join a union. This right, also known as freedom of association, is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To learn whether workers in your industry have the right to unionize, contact a PPWC representative today. Remember, all contact with PPWC is treated as strictly confidential.
Your employer can speak to you about the union, but under the law they are not allowed to threaten, coerce, discriminate, make promises, impose a penalty, or do anything that stops you from making a free decision on union representation. In every province in Canada, it is a violation of provincial labour law to terminate or discriminate against an employee for exercising their right to join a union. Your employer is also not allowed to use intimidation or coercion against you during a union organizing drive.
Every union organizing drive starts with workers signing union cards. Certifying a union is a process that varies in each province, and different rules apply to federally regulated workplaces. Before starting an organizing drive, you should contact the union to find out which laws apply to you and your co-workers. There are two different systems for workers to organize themselves into a union: automatic certification and a representation vote:
Automatic certification means that once a certain number of workers sign union cards, the workplace is automatically unionized. This is currently the law in Quebec and for federally regulated workers. Some labour boards also have the power to automatically certify the union in cases where an employer has violated the rights of employees.
In a representation vote certification, the union must convince between 40 to 100 percent of the workers to sign union cards. Once the union has shown the labour board that it has the support of the workers, there will be a government-supervised secret ballot vote. If the vote is in favour of the union, it becomes the official bargaining agent for the workers.
