Most of the modern employment standards we take for granted today can be traced back to one group: unions. It was the struggle of working unionized individuals that led to the introduction of workplace legislation like the Employment Standards Act, safety standards, and even the 8-hour work day. In fact, Labour Day is a direct result of the demands of the labour movements of the 1880s to only require 58 hours over a 7-day week.
While unions have ultimately shaped modern working standards that ALL workers across the country now benefit from, a common question that needs to be asked is: are unions still relevant? Put simply, yes.
The fundamental value of organized labour is “A Fair Day’s Wages for a Fair Day’s Work.” In Ontario, 13.1% of the total population, or nearly 1.7 million people, live in poverty, even though the majority of the work-able individuals are employed full-time. One has to wonder how one can work 40 hours per week yet still be living in poverty. Businesses will find a way to keep costs as low as possible, and that means minimum wage jobs. At $10.25/hr, it would be a challenge to support yourself, but imagine trying to support a family on that. While many will say unionized workers make a bloated amount compared to their minimum wage counterparts, it’s important to ask which groups society and employers are helping to stay out of poverty and helping to live a “fair” lifestyle. It’s not like they’re living in castles in the sky and jetting off to Europe every summer – they’re living a humble middle-class lifestyle that any Canadian would be happy with. The other option would be to abolish unions and have all these fair-paid jobs turn back into minimum wage, dead-end careers, which can only lead to a continued rise in poverty. Would we be any better off that way?
Society has long generalized union workers as being “lazy” when, really, this is not the case. From my experience working in a unionized environment, the work ethic of unionized individuals is no different than anyone else, including Engineering Students at UW. I’ll admit that I’ve met “bad apples” who try to beat the system and do a sub-par job from what is expected, but it’s no different than what I’ve seen in a non-unionized government job, in the non-unionized private sector, and in group work in classes here at UW. I’ve always had my mail delivered, my garbage picked up, and teachers teaching me new concepts in public school, so can I really say that just because all these individuals are unionized, they’re somehow lazy at their jobs?
The notion that unions somehow impede corporate growth is perverse. The only thing impeding growth is a corporation’s inability to respond to the needs of a market. For decades, management and unions in the automotive industry were able to find a common ground and generally avoid strikes. It was only when foreign automotive companies expanded into the North American market, which the big three automakers had been dominating for decades, did labour unrest explode due to the need for cutbacks in an attempt to stay competitive. Was it ultimately the fault of the unionized workers who did their jobs on a daily basis, or was it management who floundered when the foreign threat arrived and have been trying to play “catch-up” to these competitors ever since?
It was because of organized labour that all employees, regardless of affiliation, have benefited from modern workplace legislation that ensures they’re treated equitability and in a safe manner. Unions have more than proven their relevance historically and, based on the changing knowledge-based economy we’ll all be a part of, will help to ensure that these standards and laws evolve with the times.