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I was in a union and wanted to talk to a lawyer about an issue at work and no lawyer would talk to me. They kept telling me to talk to the union but I could not because they were part of the problem Why wouldn't a lawyer talk to me?
Unionized employees are subject to the collective agreement negotiated by the union on their behalf. The union is your representative and you cannot hire your own lawyer.
Comments
Fine but if the union negotiates a contract and we vote for it and then the employer does not honour the contract and the union does not represent the employee what does the employee do if they can't talk to a lawyer. This is what happened to me. Our contract said term employees were to be made permanent after 3 years. The employer refused and the union did not want to represent me and force the issue. Where does the employee go?
You have the option to file a claim for unfair representation against the union but bear in mind that such claims are expensive and take a long time to be adjudicated.
Because I have a contract why can't I consult a lawyer is this not a breech of contract? This law that says I have to go thru the union puts the union above the law and leaves the employee with no legal representation and vulnerable to deals between the union and employer with no legal recourse. Is this law from the Ontario government who is responsible for it and how do I change it?
While this may be unfair, there is absolutely nothing that can be done. A unionized employee is stuck with the union. There are no other options and no exceptions.