Build your union.

We have greater bargaining power when we deal with our employers collectively.

Building the union at your workplace allows you and your colleagues to take an active role in securing better pay and conditions.

The role of the Aotearoa Legal Workers' Union is to help you and your colleagues organise at your workplace by providing practical and technical support, and helping share the lessons members have learned. 

How to build the union

Step One: Meet with your colleagues about what you want to change

You and your colleagues know what the issues are at your workplace. Start by getting together and talking about what changes you want. We can give you advice about how to organise these meetings and can attend to answer your questions about the union.

Step Two: Join the union and elect delegates

Join the union with your colleagues and hold a vote of members to elect one or more delegates. Your delegates are the point of contact between you and the union, and will help coordinate support the union provides.

Step Three: Develop a plan for your workplace and get to work

ALWU will work with you to develop a plan for how to make changes at your workplace. If you decide to pursue collective bargaining, as most unions do, ALWU will provide you with practical and technical support to negotiate a good contract. 

Contributing as a student

Today’s students are tomorrow’s legal workers. Getting involved as a student helps build the union for when you graduate and become a legal worker. ALWU has a student committee with representatives from each law school, who work together to educate law students about employment rights in the industry. Here are three things you can do to build the union as a student.

  1. Become a member. It's free.

  2. Recruit other law students.

  3. Join the student committee and help organise union activities at your law school.

To get involved, contact the student representative at students@alwu.org.nz

Contributing as a solidarity member

Solidarity members play a crucial role in supporting the organising activities of legal workers. Here are three things you can do to build the union as a solidarity member:

  1. Support legal employees you know to get involved in the union.

  2. Donate to provide material support to union organising.

  3. Become a member of the pro bono panel and support legal workers facing workplace issues.