Whenever I write in support of unions, I get comments to the effect that unions are filled with individuals who are paid too much to do too little work.
I would respectfully disagree and point out the work of employees has little to do with whether or not they belong to a union. It has much more to do with the working environment and whether employees are respected, treated with dignity, and compensated fairly.
It also depends, in my opinion, on the structure of the organization. Small businesses, for example, tend to be owner operated and hands-on. The person in charge has a vested interest in their employees because they are people they know.
The same cannot be said for large corporations where hundreds or thousands of employees can be hired or fired without ever meeting the “boss.” Indeed, the bottom line is often profitability and a return on investment to shareholders. Workers are just cogs in a machine.
In this case, a union provides a balance in the power dynamic. After all, the corporation needs its workers and the workers need the corporation. It is a balancing act because excessive demands by the workers can decrease the viability of the business but excessive demands by the employer can lead to unsustainable working conditions.
We forget unions are a relatively recent structure in labour relations. They arose from abuses of workers in the 1800s. In Canada, workers did not have the right to form trade unions until April 18, 1872, with the introduction of the Trade Union Act. Prior to that forming a union or participating in a strike was illegal.
The Toronto Typographical Union’s 1872 strike was the catalyst for the change. What was their demand? To move to a 9-hour workday and a 54-hour work week. For this, the strike committee was arrested. But in the end, they won for us all because the work week was shortened.
Subsequent labour actions have resulted in a five-day work week, minimum wages, retirement packages, health care benefits, parental leaves, employment equity, and much more. It is through the efforts and energy of workers in the past 150 years that we all enjoy the benefits of our modern working conditions.
That’s why Labour Day is worth celebrating.
Todd Whitcombe is a chemistry professor at the University of Northern B.C.
