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Join the Law Society Union
For Better Pay and Benefits, Job Security, and Fairness
Workers at the Law Society of BC are forming a union that includes all staff members, joining lawyers, paralegals and officers in the Professional Employees Association (PEA). As of February 2026, a majority of LSBC staff have signed union cards, and only a few more cards are needed to reach the 55% threshold.
Join us in building a better workplace, sign a confidential membership card now. Visit www.PEA.org/LScard or use the webform below. The employer is never allowed to know who signed a card.
You have the legal right to form a union in BC; the BC Labour Relations Code protects you. Your employer is never allowed to know who signed a membership card.
Why Join the Union
Better Pay and Benefits
We can win higher raises and more generous benefits by bargaining together. Once we form a union, our employer must negotiate wages and working conditions with us. In 2025 PEA members bargained a new contract, winning 15.75% over three years in total compensation increases. This is the largest compensation increase in Law Society history.
We also achieved parity for paralegals and officers, winning RRSP, vacation, and health benefits that are equal to what lawyers have. Because of this victory, the employer then extended these benefits to all of us. This shows the power we have when we come together.
Job Security and Organizational Change
A union will provide greater stability and job security as we prepare for the transition to a single regulator. With a union, workers can only be fired when there is just cause, and we will have a formal process to dispute unjust discipline. We will be able to speak out about problems or mistreatment without fear of being disciplined. The current union agreement also includes prohibitions on contracting out work that would lead to job losses, as well as much stronger severance provisions.
Respect, Fairness and Equal Treatment
With a union we will negotiate a set of rules that guarantee respect and fairness for everyone. Workplace conditions will be transparent and guaranteed. Many of us have experienced unapproved overtime, extreme pressure, or unsustainable workloads. With a union, our employer will follow clear processes that will ensure fairness, respect and transparency at work, free from arbitrary decisions, fear, or bullying.
Support from Union Staff
We will be supported by PEA staff every step of the way—negotiating the collective agreement, working with management, and dealing with grievances.
Want to Learn More? Contact PEA Organizer Duncan Pike for a confidential conversation: dpike@pea.org or 416 893 2286.
Representing professionals is our specialty. Our members typically have at least one degree and perform highly specialized work, often advising management and making decisions that impact the security and well-being of others.
Your professional needs will guide us to represent you with integrity and intellect. Our work for you will provide a strong foundation, allowing you to focus on your profession and the work you value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are union dues?
Dues are 1% of salary, the lowest in B.C., and are tax deductible. You don’t start paying dues until after the union is officially certified.
What happens if my manager finds out I signed a card?
Union cards are completely confidential. Your manager never gets to know who has signed a card.
What is the time commitment?
As much or as little as you want. There are no requirements after you sign a card.
I’m nearing retirement. What’s in it for me?
A union will ensure you have additional benefits, security, and support in the period before you retire. You will be helping to leave behind a stronger, fairer and more equitable workplace for your colleagues and everyone who joins the organization in the year to come.
Can unionizing help me secure more professional development opportunities?
With a collective agreement, you can have access to paid professional development opportunities to grow your professional skills. These will be guaranteed, not at the discretion of your manager. The PEA also provides numerous opportunities to develop your leadership skills within your union.
How unions work
Your collective agreement
You’ll have a collective agreement—a legal contract—that lists the terms and conditions of unionized employees in your place of work. Included in this document are compensation, vacation, hours of work, raises, overtime and more. It will also outline how to handle a situation where the collective agreement isn’t being followed. You can read the current Law Society-PEA collective agreement here.
- Elected union members negotiate the collective agreement with your employer’s management team, who are excluded from the union. The agreement has a fixed term, usually of a few years, before it must be renegotiated.
- Collective agreements frequently lead to better agreements for employees because they are negotiated in the best interest of all staff. Compensation and treatment of employees will be fair and equitable.
Decisions in the union
You and all union members will elect colleagues to an executive that will work with your employer’s management on everything related to union members. The executive will also be responsible for making sure the employer is following the terms of the collective agreement.
- If the employer is not following the collective agreement, the union will follow the grievance process outlined in the contract.
- A very small percentage (1 per cent) of each member’s pay will go to helping the union run.
- The union will hold meetings several times a year to update members and provide information via email.
Supporting you
Union members will be supported by the PEA every step of the way—negotiating the collective agreement, working with management, moving forward with grievances and learning about being in a union.
- PEA members have access to learning opportunities to help you and your colleagues learn about being in a union and become leaders in your place of work.
- PEA members can call a professional labour relations officer with their concerns or issues in the workplace.
"I couldn‘t have done it if I hadn’t had the union working with me. When it comes to dealing with personal and professional challenges you need to feel there are people on your side."
Former PEA Member, Beth
