Why We Need To Have Labour Agreements

Canadian Musicians Employment Status Archive

(Date Unknown)

Laura Brownell
AFM SSD Canadian Director

"One of the reasons that voluntary recognition is so common in the cultural sector may be that employers seek to avoid a certification drive that is likely to call into question the employee status of self-employed artists." (From Understanding Labour Relations in the Cultural Sector by Robert Johnston.)

WHY WE NEED TO HAVE LABOUR AGREEMENTS

1. So that we know we can strike.

2. So that we know we will get our jobs back if we strike.

3. So that our engagers cannot alter terms and conditions of work during negotiations, even after the agreement has expired.

4. So that we can benefit from protections contained in related statutes, including Health and Safety, Human Rights, Employment Insurance, and Employment Standards.

5. So that our engagers have a statutory duty to bargain in good faith with a clear intent to reach an agreement.

6. So that we have access to labour arbitration with all the attendant powers of the arbitrator and principles developed through case law. Labour arbitrators have the power to give you your job back if you are unjustly dismissed.

7. So that our relationships with our Locals are structured by the rights, obligations, and responsibilities outlined in labour statutes.

8. So that our agreements will flow through to a successor engager in the event of a shutdown or bankruptcy.

9. So that we will be protected against unfair labour practices.

10. So that we act in solidarity with the rest of the labour movement and with our counterparts in the United States.

11. So that our Locals can maintain financial stability through dues check-off, (Most Canadian labour statutes make dues check-off available to the Local upon request.)

12. So that we will enjoy the increased bargaining power we gain from all of the above, which will result in improved wages and working conditions as well as the ability to relate to employers on an equal footing.

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