The Graphic History Collective Unionizes

By Daniel Tseghay, RankandFile.ca Writer/Organizer

On September 2nd, the Graphic History Collective (GHC), a volunteer-run collective producing comic books on Canada’s labour and working class history, announced that it has joined the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU). The CFU is a Community Chapter of Unifor. This type of organization gives its members some of the  benefits of unionizing outside of the  traditional employment relationship. Such employment conditions are the norm amongst  freelancers and independent media workers in general and the GHC collective in particular.

MONTREAL, Aug. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - As freelancing is becoming more and more common, the number of self-employed Canadians working in precarious jobs has grown. These workers are increasingly looking for new ways to foster collaboration, support and social connection, as well as improving workplace protection and benefits. To respond to this growing need, the Canadian Freelance Union has launched its first-ever organizing drive as a community chapter of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union.

The Canadian Freelance Union has unanimously voted to support the Charter challenge that has been launched against Bill C-51, the so-called Anti-terrorism Act. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression are spearheading the challenge.

It has been only a few months since Unifor was created on Labour Day weekend. As part of the key priorities adopted by members was a renewed commitment to organizing. The commitment was partly on monetary terms, with ten per cent of the union's total budget going to organizing. Interestingly, the commitment was also on principle: to adapt the union's traditional organizing ways to reach out to new groups of workers.