Myth-busting the Amazon anti-union campaign

Dear Unifor members at YVR2, 

Your bargaining committee has met to discuss the priorities you identified in the survey and is busy preparing an initial proposal for the employer. The committee has proposed to meet with the company Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1–3 with supplementary dates Nov. 3–17; and Nov. 30 to Dec.  19. If you have any questions about this process, please get in touch! 

We also wanted to specifically address some of the misinformation being spread by Amazon in the workplace. One of the more prevalent myths is about the level of union dues that will be collected after you vote on your first union contract with Amazon.  

Just to be clear, no union dues are collected until your contract is negotiated and approved by a majority vote of workers at YVR2. Thus, only after any wage increases come into effect from your new contract will your dues payments begin, and 100% of union dues are tax deductible. 

If you work fewer than 40 hours per month, your union dues are calculated as follows: 

[your hourly wage] x 1.583 = monthly dues 

For example, if your hourly wage is $21.40 and you work under 40 hours per month, your union dues will be only $8.47 per week. 

If you work more than 40 hours per month, your union dues are calculated as follows: 

[your hourly wage] x 2.75 = monthly dues 

For example, if your hourly wage is $21.40 and you work more than 40 hours per month, your union dues will be only $14.71 per week.  

For this modest amount, you are making a collective investment in your job security, health and safety, fairness, and workplace democracy. Together we will work to fix the problems you identified in the survey and elsewhere, such as eliminating favouritism and having a say in speed-ups.  

Amazon’s misinformation campaign is designed to keep you scared, vulnerable, and powerless in the workplace. A union contract will change all of that. 

We’ll be in touch again once there is more to report about the bargaining process or if the B.C. Labour Relations Board rules on our challenge to the with-holding of annual raises. 

Thanks for staying engaged. Please continue to report intimidation and inappropriate behaviour of your managers to us at this address.  

In solidarity, 
Mario Santos  
Unifor National Representative  
Area Director BC, Directeur local C.-B.