Do I have the right to be represented by a union?

Most workers in Ontario have the right to join a union. For unionized workers, conditions of employment are set out in a collective agreement. The agreement talks about things like wages, hours of work, and overtime pay.

Collective agreements set conditions of employment that are better for workers than the minimum standards in the law.

Workers who don’t have the right to join a union

Some workers don’t have the right to join a union. This includes:

• domestics working in a private home, like housekeepers or nannies
• agricultural workers
• independent contractors

And, if you’re a manager you can’t be in a union. But that’s only if your job includes management responsibilities, for example, hiring or supervising other workers.

So even if your employer calls you a manager, you still might have the right to join the union.

If your employer says you can’t be in the union

If your employer says you can’t be in the union, don’t assume that they’re right. The union can argue that the employer is wrong. And the final decision can be made by the Ontario Labour Relations Board.