Organizing a workplace is one of the most powerful ways workers can improve their jobs, their well-being, and their future. It’s not complicated, but it does take planning, teamwork, and patience. NSUPE’s organizing team will assist you every step of the way.
Below we’ll walk-through the major steps involved in building a strong, sustainable union presence at work.
The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.
Thomas Donahue
1. Start With Real Conversations
Every organizing effort begins with workers talking to workers. Before anything formal happens, start quietly checking in with trusted coworkers about the issues that matter most: pay, staffing, scheduling, fairness, job security, safety, respect. These conversations (about workplace issues) are the foundation.
Your goal at this stage isn’t to convince—it’s to listen. People organize when they feel heard, understood, and supported by their peers.
2. Build an Organizing Committee
Once you have a small group of coworkers who want change, form an organizing committee. This group should represent different departments, roles, shifts, and demographics. Why? Because a union needs broad support across the workplace, not just one pocket of workers.
The committee’s job is to:
- Gather and record information on workplace issues
- Map out who works where and who talks to whom
- Track support and concerns
- Coordinate communication and strategy
- A strong committee is the backbone of the campaign
3. Research Your Workplace and Your Rights
Knowledge is fuel. Learn about the company’s structure, management, turnover, policies, and any history of organizing attempts. Understand your legal rights—you are allowed to discuss working conditions and unionizing outside of work hours and in non-work areas.
NSUPE’s experienced organizers can provide training, tools, and legal support that make a huge difference.
4. Identify Issues and Build a Vision
People don’t join a union because of slogans—they join because they see a path to a better workplace. Your committee should identify the key issues and shape them into a simple, collective vision that coworkers can rally behind.
Examples include:
- Fair and transparent wages
- Safer working conditions
- Stable, predictable scheduling
- Respectful management practices
- Better benefits
The vision must reflect what workers actually want, not what organizers think they want.
5. Build Majority Support
This step is the real heart of organizing. It means having one-on-one conversations with every coworker possible. Expect questions, fears, and myths—those are normal. Your job is to answer honestly and calmly, not pressure anyone.
Track support carefully. Your committee should know where people stand so you can keep growing momentum. A successful union drive aims for strong majority support before anything becomes public.
6. Take Formal Steps: Cards and Voting
Once the majority is on board, the committee moves to the formal phase:
- Signing union cards (This can be done digitally with NSUPE)
- Filing for certification
- Conducting a vote
This is when management often reacts, so having solid majority support matters. Coworkers who feel prepared, informed, and united are far more confident during this stage.
7. Win the Vote—Then Build the Union
A successful vote is only the beginning. After certification, workers negotiate their first collective agreement. This is where the gains happen: wages, benefits, protections, rights, procedures.
Strong unions keep members involved, maintain communication, and build a culture of solidarity. The goal isn’t just to win today’s improvements—it’s to create a workplace where workers always have a voice and a say in their future.
8. Remember: Organizing Is About People, Not Paperwork
At every step, conversations and relationships matter most. People join unions because they trust the coworkers who invite them in. When workers feel supported, empowered, and hopeful, the union becomes something they are, not something they “sign up for.”
Ari Vangeest – Organizer / Business Agent
Mobile: 902-410-1871
Email: Arivangeest@nsupe.ca
