The right of association is a basic right in any democratic society. This right, enshrined in labour codes and charters of rights, gives us the right to organize unions.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms defines the basic freedoms we enjoy, such as freedom of speech. The Provincial or Federal Labour Codes contain laws about the labour relations which are the legal basis for the collective bargaining process.
In Canada today with more than two out of ten people either unemployed
or on welfare and where new jobs lack security because they are temporary
or part-time, people are naturally demanding the right to work at a secure
job. As individuals, we need to work to earn a living - but we also
hope to have a better quality of life, to be respected, to finish our days
in healthy retirement. Since these objectives are shared by all the
workers in a workplace, we come together to try to meet our goals.
Before unions: management rights
When you work in an unorganized workplace, the only rights you have are those provided in legislation and the word of the boss (called management rights).
The rights provided under legislation are minimum rights, like those found in the Labour Standards legislation which sets minimum wage, minimum vacation, etc. Even the minimum rules are not always respected by employers.
Where there is no union, the worker must defend him/herself alone or
hire a lawyer. And many workers are reluctant to denounce an employer
who is not respecting the law for fear of harassment, losing the job, etc.
After unions: more rights for workers
When the majority of workers sign union membership cards, they can negotiate
a collective agreement which limits the arbitrary use of management power.
Workers do have some interests which coincide with those of the employer - but many others which do not. The most obvious common interest is the survival of the business or service. But even on this issue we do not always agree with management as to how best to ensure survival. For example, we may disagree on methods of production, management strategies, whether to reinvest or distribute profits.
Our different interests are based on very different objectives. The priority for the union is to defend and increase the rights of the workers. This is not the priority for the employer, whose primary interest is the profit of the enterprise.
The gains we've made (on health and safety, equity, wages etc.) have been the result of years of union struggle. And the protection of these rights still requires vigilance and determination by the Union.
When they join a large Union, workers also ensure that their interests are defended with governments. Unions have fought hard for social programmes which affect the whole population, such as Medicare and Canada Pension, as well as for labour laws affecting their members.
The Union: Increasing our power in the workplace
As individual workers, we have little power to negotiate with the employer
who owns the enterprise. However, by grouping together in a union
and drawing on our force of numbers, we are able to negotiate with the
employer on a more even scale. It is only through our unions that
we have the power to improve our working conditions and defend our rights.