To be a strong voice for working people, our union processes must be clear and accountable. Only by leading by example, and achieving the highest standard of collective and individual behaviour, can our union gain the trust of our members and speak in one voice to demand better from employers and governments.

When Unifor was formed in 2013, it greatly improved upon the Constitutional language from both predecessor unions, especially in terms of the conduct of elected union officers. The lengthy code of ethics, enshrined into Unifor’s Constitution from the start, was designed to encourage and require outstanding ethical behaviour from those who represent and speak on behalf of Unifor members.

We have outlined in our platform the Forward Together vision for greater accountability and transparency in the union, which includes:

• Developing clear proposals for enhanced accountability measures for the union’s practices, policies and structures leading to proposed constitutional changes to be approved at Convention. This could mean enhanced disclosure measures for elected officers around gifts and potential conflicts of interest, greater approval and oversight for credit card use, and organizational changes to uphold Constitutional requirements.
• Creating an independent Integrity Officer position for the union to oversee the application of the Code of Ethics.
• Working with the National Executive Board, who has oversight on the union’s overall activities and finances, to produce a financial overview report on a yearly basis that will be made available to all Unifor members.
• Broaden our union’s national representative recruitment and training program to be more accessible, inclusive and representative of the membership, including more transparency with local unions and activists with respect to all staff job openings and a professional interview process to fill positions. We have come to understand that many locals want clarity and professionalism when jobs become available.
• Increase the internal awareness and education relative to the union’s Code of Ethics, the requirements of elected officers at all levels (including within local unions) to act in the best interest of the union, and the behaviour expected as part of Unifor’s Constitution.

When it was founded in 2013, the union made it clear it would be preparing a yearly financial budget available to local unions. This only happened for the first time in 2021, during the pandemic, when Lana Payne successfully presented the union’s first budget ever. Expanding upon our budget practice will be an essential way to ensure appropriate financial oversight from the National Executive Board, and put our resources to better use by adopting a union-wide budget planning culture.

It’s clear to us that the need for new and revised accountability and transparency measures is about ensuring information on the current situation of our union is available to members, while ensuring the union is in a strong position to take on its many fights. Through this process, members can make informed decisions about future directions, campaigns and projects of the union.

It’s also clear to us that there is an urgent need to adopt new oversight mechanisms, involving the NEB, when it comes to officer and senior staff expense accounts.

In addition to our platform, our campaign has adopted internal mechanisms such as a financial policy, donation limits and a commitment to publishing a financial report when the campaign is complete. We also have the privilege of counting on Bill Gaucher from local 114 as the campaign’s financial secretary.

We have done this because we think it is the right of Unifor members to know how our campaign is funded. Through our finance policy, we seek to confirm, for Unifor members, that this campaign does not accept donations from those who are actively employed by the union, or from outside entities such as employers or governments.

Being a modern social union means adopting a modern, transparent and forward-looking approach to accountability measures. We look forward to making positive improvements to our union into the future.

In solidarity,

Lana Payne and Len Poirier

• vision