1. Welcome to
Check in:
Who has been in a union before; what was their experience?
Those who have never been; what is their expectation or understanding of what the role of the union is.

2. Who We Are
MoveUP is a member-led democratic union with 11,000 members.
We have been representing workers since the 1930s.
Members work in the public and private sector.
Such as finance, transit, IT transportation, Crown corporations, security and other office and professional sectors.
As a MoveUP member, you’re joining 11,000 people like you working in public and private sector jobs in finance, public transit, transportation, Crown corporations, security and other office and professional sectors.
You’re also entitled to union representation if your rights under your collective agreement are violated by your employer – a significant advantage compared to non-union employees who get treated unfairly at work.

3. We Are All The Union
As members we elect our colleagues and peers to be our union’s elected leaders.
We have a say in developing policy and managing the union’s finances – your dues.
All union officers are elected by members in their workplaces every three years.
You’re also entitled to union representation if your rights under your collective agreement are violated by your employer – a significant advantage compared to non-union employees who get treated unfairly at work.

4. Why Unions?
Unions provide security for you in the workplace. They represent you when you need help and fight for your rights. This is achieved through our collective strength, because working together we can make our lives better.
[optional – swap out photo for picture of member in your bargaining unit]

5. Member Services
We provides many services to our members. Some key services include:
Representation and help resolving workplace issues
Member education and scholarships
Our Local Voice magazine and other communications
Social and recreational events
For more info, visit services
Training – Job Steward Seminar, workplace-specific training for job stewards, opportunities to attend Harrison Winter School, etc.
Fred Trotter Memorial Scholarship available for members and their adult children to apply for, to attend school on industrial/labour relations
Social and recreational events like the Breakfast with Santa, Chinatown Lunar New Year parade, Snow shoeing, Playland Family Day, Hockey and baseball games, all around the province

6. Active In Our Communities
Unions strive to help communities and improve working conditions, not just for themselves but for all workers. A few of the rights we enjoy today that were spearheaded by union members are: parental leave, minimum wage, worker’s
compensation, the eight-hour workday, and universal health care.
A key principle of social unionism is “what we wish for ourselves, we desire for all.”
Photo of young members at a rally to raise the B.C. minimum wage to $15/hour.
At $10.25/hr BC's minimum wage is one of the lowest in Canada. As the cost of living continues to go up, workers earning minimum wage cannot make ends meet.
BC's minimum wage leaves full-time workers living below the poverty line. MoveUP is a member of national and provincial labour organizations like the BC Federation of Labour and we work together on these kinds of issues. The BC Fed believes that work should lift you out of poverty, not trap you there. It's time for the BC government to increase the minimum wage to $15/hour so that nobody is left behind.

7. Collective Agreement A collective agreement:
are the rules that we and the employer agree to in our workplaces.
keeps us safe at work, sets our pay levels, and benefits.
also establishes rules about how we resolve conflicts.
is a written contract between the employer and a union that outlines many of the terms and conditions of employment .
Collective Agreement
Optional: bring out the CA and ask if they have any questions to look at right then – bring tabbed copy and plain one.
They can find it on our website
Maybe available in paper form, depending on workplace
Outline specifics for your workplace

8. Collective Bargaining: The Basics
Each collective agreement has a specified term
Bargaining committee: a union staffer, stewards and officers from your workplace.
Before bargaining starts, your committee asks for feedback.
The employer also comes with their own set of proposals.
It’s a balancing act: no one ever gets everything
The Basics
Each collective agreement has a specified term (usually 1, 2, or 3 years) and must be renegotiated each time it expires.
Your bargaining committee is led by a union staffer who is supported by stewards and officers elected from your workplace.
Before bargaining starts, your committee asks for feedback about what improvements or changes you want to see. That feedback goes into making the union’s proposals.
The employer also comes with their own set of proposals. That way both sides, union and employer, enter the process with definite goals they want to accomplish.
It’s a balancing act: no one ever gets everything, but a skillful bargaining committee backed up by a determined membership can move the ball forward.
Talking about on average that it is better to be in a union. For example unionized workers make $5 per hour more on average to non union workers doing the same work

9. MoveUP’s Structure Table Officers Executive Board Executive Council
MoveUP has 3 elected levels of governance:
The Table Officers who manage the day-to-day work of the union. They are the President, Secretary-Treasurer and three Vice-Presidents.
The Executive Board who meets monthly to make ongoing decisions
The much larger Executive Council who meets five times a year and makes decisions between conventions.
Table Officers
Executive Board
Executive Council
As a MoveUP member, you’re joining 11,000 people like you working in public and private sector jobs in finance, transit, IT transportation, Crown corporations, security and other office and professional sectors.
You’re also entitled to union representation if your rights under your collective agreement are violated by your employer – a significant advantage compared to non-union employees who get treated unfairly at work.
The President assigns all staff responsibilities, manages the union office, chairs meetings and acts as the union's representative to all outside organizations
The President, the three Vice-Presidents and Secretary Treasurer are the Table Officers. They represent the interests of all union members in discussions at executive board and council meetings on matters regarding administration, policies and financial decisions of the union.

10. The President & Table Officers
President David Black
Sec-Treas Lori Mayhew
Vice-President Gwenne Farrell
Vice-President Annette Toth
Vice-President Christy Slusarenko
Explain what combined units are.

11. The Executive Board What do we call ourselves to represent who we are?
What do we look like to show our audience our best selves? 
What do we call ourselves to stop just ‘coping’ and start moving forward with determination?  
Made up of 20 members representing various MoveUP sectors and workplaces
Executive management body of the union
Meets monthly to discuss administrative and operational issues
Reports to council on policy and financial issues
Board members must represent the interest of all members in their respective workplaces
Also sit on their bargaining committees during bargaining

12. Executive Council
Executive council is the senior policy-making body of your union. It meets five times per year. One executive councillor is elected per members.
Council is responsible for policy, the annual budget and all major financial decisions.
Your councillors bring forward suggestions from stewards and members on how the union can improve policies and member services. Councillors often act as chief job stewards, recruiting and advising job stewards in the workplaces they represent.

13. Staff
Union Representatives: Full-time employees in the union office who provide technical advice to stewards and Councillors and support new stewards how to handle complaints and stage one grievances. Administrative Support Staff: Provide staff support on key areas: membership, address and phone lists are up-to-date, grievance files, meeting notices, and other materials.
The union Representative is an employee of the union.
Union Representatives: Full-time employees in the union office who provide technical advice to stewards and Councillors and teach new stewards how to handle complaints and stage one grievances. Reps handle more complex grievances, keep members up-to- date on grievance status, take members' cases to arbitration and act as coordinators of bargaining teams during contract negotiations.
Administrative Support Staff: Responsible for ensuring membership, steward and councillor address and phone lists are up-to-date, recording information on grievance files, advising members about meetings, ensuring that union officers have appropriate forms, bulletins and union booklets to perform their duties. They make the place run.

14. Your Representatives Vice-President [insert name and email]
Union Rep(s)
Executive Board Members
Your Executive Councillor(s)
[insert names if applicable]
Your Job Stewards
Delete the section if there is a vacancy.
Type in the updates to each category above

15. Stewards Are Here to Help!
The job steward is a bridge between members in your workplace and our Union Rep.
Any questions or concerns to do with your employment; wages, promotions, overtimes, benefits, discipline, etc.? See your job steward.
Your stewards have training, insight, techniques, and skills to be your advocates in our workplace.
stew·ard·ship
stü-ərd-ship, styü-; st(y)rd-\
the activity or job of protecting and being responsible for something
Once they complete probation we would be happy to talk to them about becoming involved in their union, becoming a job steward, helping on a committee or helping at one of our events

16. Committees Advisory Environment Organizing Arbitration Review
Audit
Constitution & By-Laws
Education
Electoral
Environment
Events & Social Planning
Health & Safety
Human Rights
Multicultural
Organizing
Pension
Political Action
Women's Rights
Youth Action
MoveUP has several union standing committees that work in specialized areas to make policy recommendations, engage members, organize events, strengthen our union and protect members’ rights in the workplace.
If you’re interested in more information or in participating on one of the following standing committees, please talk to a job steward. We can always use more help.
To visit a committee's page and find out about recent work and upcoming meetings and activities, use the MoveUP website

17. MoveUP Members in the Community
MoveUP members and staff at Victoria Pride
MoveUP Women’s Rights Committee Members joined 200 others at the Summer Institute for Union Women
Discuss any upcoming social or recreational event opportunities
MoveUP’s dragon boat team, organized by the Multicultural and Social Committees.
Youth Action Committee members at Camp Jubilee

18. Key Terms You Should Know
Dues: the monthly fee you pay for the union to support making your work place safe and fair and are fully tax-deductible.
Every collective agreement has a grievance procedure to address violations of the agreement.
The right to having union representation when meeting with management.
Dues: when you were hired you should have signed a dues authorization form which allows 1.5 per cent union dues to be deducted from your paycheque and submitted to the MoveUP office. Our dues are low in comparison to most other unions and are fully tax-deductible. Dues are the primary source of revenue that allows your union to run its office, employ union representatives and other staff, fight grievances if you’re being treated unfairly at work, and support members financially in case of job action.
Every collective agreement has a grievance procedure to address violations of the agreement. Whenever you become aware of a violation of your contract, notify your job steward as soon as possible, as some violations have time limits for grieving.
The right to having union representation when meeting with management.
Add a link to the member page for understanding the grievance process

19. Stay in Touch!
If you have any questions, contact any of your stewards:
[Insert Councillor/Steward Names]
Find us online!
facebook.com/MoveUPTogether
twitter.com/MoveUPTogether
moveuptogether.ca
Note the Member Orientation Handbook and videos are available on the website for more info. Moveuptogether.ca/member-services