The work unions do in providing and supporting learning for their members rarely makes the news headlines, but it will be essential if people are to engage those workers who most need to acquire new and better skills to cope in the economic downturn. In this article, the author talks about the power in a union and describes UNISON, a comparatively new union, formed in a merger in 1993. UNISON is the UK's largest public service union. It is committed to bringing principles of equality and diversity to its own organisation as well as to its members' workplaces and communities. The steps UNISON takes to provide and support learning opportunities are designed to make it a more democratic and effective trade union, as well as to improve the working lives and prospects of individuals. For UNISON, adult learning in communities and in the workplace is about more than skills--important though they are--it is also about the kind of society people want to live in; one in which adults get the chance to achieve their ambitions, to change direction and to be involved in their communities.