Workers in Canada have fundamental rights — including the right to form a union to create a better, fairer relationship with their employer.

It is a right that Walmart can’t ignore because Walmart is not above the law. That law is Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms — our constitution — which has established the Freedom to Associate as a fundamental Canadian right.

In other words, Canada’s highest court has twice ruled that the Charter ensures that workers have the right to join a union and negotiate a collective labour contract with their employers.

As Canada’s largest private-sector union with a strong history of activism, UFCW Canada is committed to ensuring that the labour and human rights of Walmart workers in Canada are respected.

For over a decade, Walmart workers have tried to improve their lives through collective bargaining. They face tremendous challenges in trying to exercise their rights, but with the assistance of UFCW Canada – and its 250,000-plus members – Walmart Canada workers are making progress.

Since 2002, over 20 different groups of Walmart workers, in several different provinces, have applied to become UFCW Canada members. And despite Walmart’s corporate and legal tactics, some Walmart Canada workers do have a UFCW Canada collective agreement today where they work, because workers understand that by acting together and taking collective action they can improve their workplace and their lives.

If you are a Canadian “associate” who wants to join the growing movement for change at Walmart, visit http://www.walmartworkerscanada.ca. It’s a website that helps Walmart workers understand their rights, and how to lead their coworkers to a working life that includes more dignity and respect.

UFCW Canada will continue to answer the call everyday from Walmart workers who “associate” justice with their Freedom to Associate and form a union.