By Kavi Chahal, Communications Staff
Sometimes, bosses are not fair. You can work hard, be committed to your job, and good to everyone around you – but it just is not enough. You might feel beaten down and defeated when your boss creates an inhospitable environment. You may begin to think that nothing will change and resign yourself to keep your head down and hope for the best.
Or you stand up and fight for the change you and your fellow workers deserve. AUPE members at Trochu Covenant Health Services did just that. They had had enough of their manager and their mistreatment. They decided to act. They decided it was time for a March on the Boss.
“AUPE members know that collective action is the way to make work better for everyone,” says AUPE Vice-President Darren Graham. “Actions like a March on the Boss are the purest form of members working together to force their employers to do the right thing.”
But what is a March on the Boss? It is when a group of workers organize themselves to talk to their boss about an issue together, rather than individually. They plan it all out ahead of time and, instead of speaking to their boss one by one, confront their boss about the problem as one big group.
Members at Trochu began by getting support from their coworkers. They gathered petition signatures from most workers at the hospital to show just how many staff felt mistreated by their manager.
“AUPE members know that collective action is the way to make work better for everyone."
Bosses can ignore one person, or even six, but cannot look away when most of the staff raise their voice.
“Organizing a March on the Boss takes time and commitment,” says Graham. “We are always proud of the members that organize this effectively.”
The members got together and, all together, delivered their petition results in-person. They marched on the two senior managers at the hospital, who weren’t their boss, but who had the power to direct their boss to change their behaviour.
It worked!
Their action brought attention to the issue and forced the employer to act. Covenant Health investigated the bad boss for their behaviour.
The investigation did not result in direct discipline for the bad boss, there was a big change nonetheless. Members say their manager is now on their best behaviour. Most importantly, the members’ concerns were addressed. They achieved their goal and made their work a much better place.
Another result of their success? Staff at the worksite are more confident in speaking out, know their union supports them, and are more engaged than ever.
“When we fight, we win,” says Graham. “If these members didn’t know it, they do now.”