Join UNITE HERE Local 40 You've come to the right place. UNITE HERE! Local 40 represents working men and women in British Columbia's hospitality, tourism and related industries. Our members work at hotels, restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, golf courses, airports, the race track, sporting arenas as well as in food service at universities and private institutions. Our members enjoy the benefits of some of the country's best collective agreements and have the added strength of a respected and experienced voice in the workplace. You are making the right decision in joining the Local 40 family - and remember, your right to join a union is protected by law. For further information, your confidential inquiry will be handled immediately. We want to hear from you. e-mail Phone: In the lower mainland you can call 604-291-8211 or from anywhere in the province you can call toll free 1-800-663-1728 and ask for the Organizing Department. What is a union? Who is UNITE HERE Local 40? Where do Local 40 members work? How much are union dues? What about contracts, negotiations & strikes? Who controls what happens once the union is certified? Is it my legal right to join a union? You are the union - you and a majority of your co-workers in the workplace. The basic idea of a union is that by joining together with co-workers you will have a greater ability to be more effective in improving conditions at your workplace. These workplace improvements are achieved through the process of collective bargaining, which concludes with a legally-binding collective agreement (also called a contract), signed between the union and the employer. return to top UNITE HERE Local 40 represents 10,000 working men and women in British Columbia’s hospitality, tourism and related industries. When people like you need a union, they turn to the largest union representing hospitality workers in British Columbia - UNITE HERE! Local 40, formerly known as the Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary Employees and Bartenders Union. We have been representing workers solely in the hospitality industry in British Columbia since 1900. Local 40 is affiliated with UNITE HERE!, the Canadian Labour Congress, the British Columbia Federation of Labour, and is a member of the British Columbia & Yukon Territory Building & Construction Trades Council. Local 40 members work in major five-star hotels in downtown Vancouver, at GM Place, in large and small hotels and resorts throughout the province. They work in food departments of major educational institutions, at Golf Courses, at airports, including Vancouver International and Victoria International Airport. And they work in restaurants such as The Cannery in Vancouver, and at service clubs across BC, including the Royal Canadian Legion and Army, Navy and Air Force Clubs. Local 40 members work as housekeepers, food servers, bartenders, waiters, waitresses, in maintenance departments, in kitchens, at counters, in catering departments, as chefs and cooks and dishwashers and doormen, to name a few occupations. Local 40 represents workers in the hospitality, tourism and service industries in this province and has done so successfully for over 100 years. Click here for a list of properties where Local 40 members work. return to top As of October 1, 2006, the monthly dues for Union members working 80 hours or more per month are two times your hourly rate of pay plus $14.00. If you work less than 79 hours per month or less, a flat monthly fee of $29.20 is payable. All dues paid are fully tax deductible and are not payable until there is a collective agreement negotiated and ratified by you, the worker, in a secret ballot vote. How is your contract negotiated? The first step in contract negotiations involves putting together your proposals. What do you want in a workplace contract? Meetings will be held, open to all members, where proposals will be developed with the help of your full time Union Representative. Next, a meeting will be held where you will vote and elect a bargaining committee of 2 or 3 of your co-workers. Once negotiations with your employer begin, further meetings will be held where you can vote on offers from the company. You have the final say on whether or not the proposed contract is acceptable. What is in a typical contract? Your union contract will contain wage rates for each job at your workplace. There may be a progression system of wage rates based on your experience. Your union contract will have seniority protection so that you have greater job security the longer you work there. Your union contract will also contain a grievance procedure so that you can challenge discipline if it is unfair. All workplace discipline can only be for just and reasonable cause. What about strikes? Over 90 per cent of all contracts are negotiated without a strike or lock-out. Remember that only you and your co-workers together can decide whether or not a strike is necessary. return to top You do, through the democratic process. You decide what the priorities are in negotiations. You elect your negotiating committee and your Shop Stewards. You vote on whether or not a contract offer is acceptable. And remember, only you and your co-workers can collectively decide whether or not a strike is necessary. The Labour Relations Code of British Columbia protects your right to join a Union. It is your democratic right and the right of every working person in British Columbia to freely join the Union of their choice - free from harassment and intimidation from your employer. Employers who choose to interfere with this process are breaking the law. Section 6(3) of the Labour Code reads as follows: (3) An employer or a person acting on behalf of an employer shall not: (a) discharge, suspend, transfer, lay off or otherwise discipline an employee, refuse to employ or to continue to employ a person or discriminate against a person in regard to employment or a condition of employment because the person: (i) is or proposes to become or seeks to induce another person to become a member or officer of a trade union, or (ii) participates in the promotion, formation or administration of a trade union. (b) discharge, suspend, transfer, lay off or otherwise discipline an employee except for proper cause when a trade union is in the process of conducting a certification campaign for employees of that employer, (c) impose a contract of employment a condition that seeks to restrain an employee from exercising his or her rights under this Code, (d) seek by intimidation, by dismissal, by threat of dismissal or by any other kind of threat, or by the imposition of a penalty, or by a promise, or by a wage increase, or by altering any other terms or conditions or employment, to compel or to induce an employee to refrain from becoming or continuing to be a member or officer or representative of a trade union. If your employer violates any of your rights, please don't hesitate to call your union. return to top Arbitration A method of settling disputes through the intervention of a third party whose decision is final and binding. Such a third party can be either a single arbitrator, or a board consisting of a chairman and one or more representatives. Arbitration is often used to settle major grievances and for settling contract interpretation disputes. Voluntary arbitration is that agreed to by the parties without statutory compulsion. Compulsory arbitration is that imposed by law. Governments sometimes impose it to avoid a strike or end one. Bargaining Agent Union designated by a Labour Relations Board or similar government agency as the exclusive representative of all employees in a bargaining unit for the purpose of collective bargaining. Bargaining Unit Group of workers in a craft, department, plant, firm, industry or occupation, determined by a Labour Relations Board or similar body as appropriate for representation by a Union for purposes of collective bargaining. Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Canada's national labour body representing over 2.5 million working men and women in Canada. Certification Official designation by a Labour Relations Board or similar government agency of a Union as sole and exclusive bargaining agent, following proof of majority support among employees in a bargaining unit. Collective Agreement A contract between one or more Unions acting as bargaining agent, and one or more employers, covering wages, hours, working conditions, fringe benefits, rights of workers and Union, and procedures to be followed in settling disputes and grievances. Collective Bargaining Method of determining wages, hours and other conditions of employment through direct negotiations between the Union and employer. Normally the result of collective bargaining is a written contract which covers all employees in the bargaining unit, both union members and non-members. return to top Mediation A process which attempts to resolve labour disputes by compromise or voluntary agreement. By contrast with arbitration, the mediator does not bring in a binding award and the parties are free to accept or to reject its recommendation. A mediator is usually a private individual appointed as a last resort, sometimes even after the start of a strike. Fringe Benefits Non-wage benefits, such as paid vacations, pensions, health care provisions, life insurance, etc., the cost of which is borne in whole or in part by the employer. Grievance Complaint against management by one or more employees, or a Union, concerning an alleged breach of the collective agreement or an alleged injustice. Procedure for the handling of grievances is usually defined in the contract. The last step of the procedure is usually arbitration. Seniority Term used to designate an employee's status relative to other employees, as in determining order of lay-off, promotion, recall, transfer, vacations, etc. Depending on the provisions of the collective agreement, seniority can be based on length of service alone or on additional factors such as ability or Union duties. Shop Steward A Union official who represents a specific group of members and the Union in Union duties, grievance matters and other employment conditions. Stewards are usually part of the workforce they represent. Yellow Dog Contract An employer-employee contract, now illegal, by which an applicant for a job must agree not to be a member of a labour union while employed. return to top Here are some links to various labour and other resources on the internet where you can find out more information about issues specific to working people. If you have a web page you'd like to see included, or have other links to suggest, send a complete URL (internet address), and a description of the page to the Local 40 webmaster. Local 40 assumes no responsibility for the content of the following links. 
Created by the British Columbia Federation of Labour, this web site provides information and answers to commonly asked questions about joining a union in the province of British Columbia. An excellent resource for working people who are interested in improving their working lives. 
The BC Human Rights Tribunal is an independent, quasi-judicial body created by the BC Human Rights Code and is repsonsible for accepting, screening, mediating and adjudicating human rights complaints. You will find a copy of the BC Human Rights Code on this website. 
The BC Human Rights Coalition helps to promote and advance strengthened human rights in BC. Their clinic and advocacy programs protect existing rights, their education and consultation programs help to prevent discrimination, and their law reform program seeks to expand human rights protections. 
Established in 1978, the Canadian Human Rights Commission promotes knowledge of human rights in Canada and encourages people to follow principles of equality; provides effective and timely means for resolving individual complaints; and helps reduce barriers to equality in employment and access to services. 
The Workers' Advisers office advises and assists clients in regards to Workers' Compensation Board benefits, policies, and the interpretation of the Act. Clients include injured workers who have WCB claims, their dependents, professional associations, union representatives, and injured workers' associations. 
Most workers in British Columbia are covered by minimum standards of employment that are enforced by the Employment Standards Branch of the Ministry of Labour. The Employment Standards Act and Regulation set minimum standards of wages and terms of employment for most workers in British Columbia. At this web site you will find information about the Employment Standards Act, programs and answers to frequently asked questions. 
Established under the Labour Relations Code of British Columbia, the Labour Relations Board is a forum for hearings, applications and decisions governing all aspects of collective bargaining between employers and employees to whom the Code applies. On this web site you will find information about the LRB and the role it plays as well as information about the Labour Relations Code and LRB decisions. 
This federal government web site provides current information about Employment Insurance benefits and includes a listing of Human Resources offices in your community where you can apply for benefits. 
Working TV is a labour television program broadcast weekly on community access television in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is primarily a labour show, focusing on union issues. Their original mandate: to counter the marginalization and censorship of labour by mainstream television broadcasters, with labour positive programming produced by working people, for working people. return to top | 
