Benefits of union membership

March 1, 2023

If the company offers you a severance package…

NOTE: the package should address concerns such as legal end date, gRent, and ongoing use of other benefits like PR application assistance.

You should attempt to negotiate for a better package, but your position may be weak.
You can attempt to reject the package and retain employment, but your position may be weak.
- The company may retaliate against you if you attempt to keep your job. There are limits on what they can do, but legality is decided in court (see below).

You can attempt to negotiate for a better package. However, you should exercise your legal right to enter into collective bargaining through the union.
You can enter into collective bargaining through the union with the goal of keeping your job. TMU has successfully fought layoffs against similar companies before.
- Your union membership will deter any illegal retaliation. You will have additional options if the company treats you unfairly or takes illegal action (see below).

You have no immediate recourse.
If you take the company to court over illegal actions you will likely win, however you will have to sustain legal costs and proceedings for around 2 to 3 years. Winning the case will include back-pay, reinstatement, and/or damages if applicable.

Your union membership will deter any illegal action in the first place.
Union members can file a complaint with the Labor Relations Commission, which will broker a settlement within a year on average. The commission does not charge a fee or require representation by a lawyer.
The union will support you with legal experience and resources if your case goes to court. TMU has won workers’ cases against similar companies before.

What about next time? Your options to resist future layoffs or changes to compensation or other issues will be limited.

We will proactively work to build union membership and power. In the future we could prevent future rounds of layoffs and negotiate for better compensation or whatever members’ interests are (decided democratically).