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Unifor heads into 2016 with plans to build on the organizing successes of the past year, when more than 6,200 new members were welcomed into the union.
“We had an incredible year in 2015,” said Organizing Director John Aman. “Unifor has made organizing new members a priority since its founding, and that has been shown in our successes.”
Over the course of 2015, Unifor organized 6,287 workers at 54 workplaces across Canada, including hospitality and gaming, airlines, manufacturing, telecom and more across the Canadian economy.
Unifor’s Organizing department also held a successful All In organizing conference in 2015, attracting local activists from across Canada to get them more involved in bringing new members into the union.
“Local involvement is key to organizing new members,” Aman said.
The largest bargaining unit organized in 2015 was Casino Rama near Orillia, Ontario, with 1,647 new members, who are currently negotiating their first contract.
Aman said the victory at Rama was part of a larger effort across the gaming industry to attract more members, with new bargaining units also organized at Ajax Downs, Georgia Downs and Grand Villa Casino.
“Hospitality and Gaming workers are seeing what joining Unifor can do for them,” Aman said.
Other successes include:
• 330 new members at the University of New Brunswick
• 160 at Pepsi Bottling in Edmonton
• 123 at Rio Tinto Alcan in Montreal
• 212 at Stock Transportation in Oakville
Organizing efforts taken on last year and being pursued this coming year include outreach to freelance media workers as part of our union’s community chapter, the Canadian Freelance Union.
Aman said 2016 looks like another good year, building on the success of the past year, and the energy of the All In conference and campaign.
A toolkit to help locals identify potential new members and to step up their organizing efforts was handed out at the September conference, and is available online at unifor.org.
“I’d like to encourage all locals and Unifor activists to get involved with organizing,” Aman said.
“Helping workers join a union is the best thing you can do for them, and for our communities.”
